Western Spends the Day Working at Local Horse Park to Help Animals and Staff
Community outreach is an integral part of our culture here at Western Healthcare. Volunteering our time to make a difference in our local community allows us to grow closer as a team, gain a sense of purpose, and to help others in a selfless way.
About Equest
Last week, we had the privilege of volunteering at Equest Therapeutic Riding Center in Dallas, Texas – the first of its kind in the state. For over 40 years, Equest has been providing equine therapy to children and adults including veterans with physical, cognitive, sensory, social, and learning disabilities. Equest’s programs include physical and occupational therapy, equine facilitated counseling, therapeutic carriage driving, therapeutic horsemanship, and riding competition.
How Western Healthcare Made an Impact
Equest – which currently houses 37 animals, including horses, miniature horses, and a miniature donkey – features 38 stalls, two covered arenas, one outdoor arena, and 6,000-square feet of administration and therapy space. Our staff split up into teams to perform a variety of indoor and outdoor tasks across the horse park while interacting with the animals. Some of these tasks included:
- Sanding and painting horse obstacle course equipment
- Scrubbing, sanitizing, and restocking barn stalls
- Providing food and water to the horses and donkeys
- Cleaning horse shower stalls
- Building shelving units and walls
- Gardening, weeding, and landscaping the grounds
- Shredding and organizing files
- Prepping rocks for youth painting activities
- Installing seasonal outdoor decorations
Team showing off one of the obstacle course poles they painted.
Barbara Beach, Equest’s Volunteer Coordinator, said the staff and volunteers were impressed with the amount of work Western completed in just a few hours.
“Everyone at Western Healthcare was fantastic. They completed double the amount of work we had planned, which allows us to focus more on the animals and program clients,” said Barbara. “They came ready to work. Each person was enthusiastic all day long and constantly asked what else could be done. Thank you very much on behalf of all of us here at Equest!”
These volunteer events not only impact the organizations we serve, but also leave a lasting impression on each of us and remind us how important it is to stay humble. Thanks again to Equest for allowing us to lend a hand, spend time with the animals, and learn about the facility. We were overwhelmed with the amount of dedication the staff and volunteers make year round to the animals – some even living onsite to ensure the horses and donkeys stay happy and healthy. Our team was lucky enough to spend a few hours helping, but the real heroes are the ones tending to the animals and grounds 365 days a year. Equest was an amazing experience all around. It was the therapy we never knew we needed!
How to Volunteer at Equest
Are you interested in volunteering at Equest? We highly recommend it! Click here to learn how you can make a difference or provide financial support to Equest. You can also send an email to [email protected].
Check out all the organizations our team has given back to here.
