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The Power in Partnership: Bean and Mary Alice

May 16, 2016

Fear is a feeling that’s familiar to all of us. Sometimes, it arrives alone at night to wake us from a serene sleep. Once in awhile, the feeling of fear grows so tall it feels as if it’s become its own being. Sometimes it’s a feeling of reaction; an emotion that sets in after your doctor utters the word: “cancer”. Mary Alice Peoples knows a few things about fear. She also knows the strength it takes to battle it. Mary Alice understands the moment of looking fear in its eyes, and fighting it until it falls prey to the feeling

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#Agape30 is here

May 6, 2016

Agape Therapeutic Riding Resources is returning to its roots to celebrate the nonprofit organization’s 30th anniversary Saturday, May 7 at Bradford Woods. Agape’s 15 horses and seven miniature horses help support our mission to cultivate personal growth in our riders and students through unique horse-facilitated activities. Each year, Agape, a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center, serves nearly 2000 individuals and 42 different diagnoses at its two locations: Bradford Woods and Cicero. Before Agape was born 30 years ago, there was one man, a mother and a daughter who saw exactly what therapeutic riding can do. The idea of Agape was

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In Memory of Our Beloved Jim

April 30, 2016

“Walk on.” Those two words were so often uttered to our Jim. However, the kind soul inside the the Percheron body didn’t just hear those syllables as a cue to move forward, he heard them as a cue to connect with the person positioned on his back. And connect he certainly did. Jim created moments of confidence in our riders through all of life’s seasons. Summer is when Jim brought confidence to the hearts of our summer campers at Bradford Woods. Jim’s gentleness shined as campers stepped into stirrups and Jim, ever the strong-silent type, stood patiently for his rider

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Are you a believer?

December 21, 2015

The last day was here. I arrived with gifts for each volunteer and something for AGAPE along with a feeling of sadness that we would not be back for a while. I didn’t know then that I would be receiving the best gift of all! The kiddos wanted to know if we were riding. With an enthusiastic group of volunteers we were told…

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In Loving Memory of Rusty

October 5, 2015

On Sunday afternoon Rusty displayed some abnormal behavior. We are very blessed at Agape to have well-trained, caring, calm and alert staff. We contacted our Janssen’s Veterinary Clinic promptly and they came out to evaluate him. Upon examining him they recommended…

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What does 29 years of horse assisted services make?

September 22, 2015

Question: What does 21 acres, 2 locations, 22 horses, hundreds of weekly volunteers, and thousands of riders over 29 years make? Answer: A whole lotta awesomeness and a little bit of wear and tear. So here’s the bottom line: We need your help sprucing up the place. Agape started in 1986 at our Bradford Woods location. In 1994, we opened the doors to our Cicero location, and by 1998, the barn that you have come to know and love was completed. And while we’re proud of the job we’ve done keeping it safe and reliable, the time has come, as

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Stories of our amazing horses | Butterbean

August 5, 2015

      “Recently Butterbean gave a ride to an individual who had suffered a spinal cord injury, causing her to be a quadriplegic.  Having grown up with horses, she did everything from jumping to reining and contesting.  She had not been on a horse since her injury and wasn’t sure if it was even possible to ride again.  She was a little nervous during mounting because she could not support her weight, but she was able to sit up with the help of two side walkers and balance using the handle of the surcingle. As soon as we got into

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Volunteer Spotlight- Bern & Kathy

July 29, 2015

Each night of the week there are familiar casts of characters hurrying around the barn and each Thursday, you’ll find Bern and Kathy Lytle in the barn.  These two can be found doing anything and everything that needs to be done.  From grooming horses, to sweeping the barn and cleaning out stalls, to side walking with riders or leading horses during class.  If it needs to be done, Bern and Kathy will tackle the job head-on.  Their dedication to Agape programs is abundant. The Lytles moved here in 2013.  Retirement and wanting to be closer to their family brought Bern and Kathy

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How to trust when you don’t understand

July 24, 2015

Today is actually a special day to me as I have had the incredible privilege of leading Agape for 3 years now. Through the ups and the downs, I am deeply passionate about what we do and overwhelmed with gratitude for this wonderful community that loves fiercely and hopes abundantly. I realize that it this post may not be proper etiquette for an Executive Director to write; however, as I am reflecting on the past 3 years, and 2015 so far, I believe that etiquette can take a quiet back seat for a brief moment. So let me just tell

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“So you think you want to be a therapeutic riding horse?” Trial Horses Part 2- Trial Period and Desensitization

July 9, 2015

Last week’s post discussed the horse selection process, what we look for in trial horses and how we choose which horses we go look at.  This week we’re going to take a look into the trial period and what it takes to be a therapeutic riding horse. Because of the tough nature of the job, the horses at Agape go through a trial period that lasts 60 days.  In order to give them time to settle in, each trial horse stays at least 30 days. Agape equine trainer and instructor, Cody Bogard, plays a big part in the assessment, training and

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“So you think you want to be a therapeutic riding horse?” Trial Horses Part 1- Horse Selection

July 1, 2015

If you haven’t already noticed, we have a few new visitors at the barn!  There are currently three trial horses at our Cicero location- Cinnamon, Domino and Captain.  While we are hopeful each of them will excel and be happy with their new jobs, we also know this job isn’t for every horse. Our horses make being a therapeutic riding horse look easy, but in reality, therapeutic riding is a hard job that not every horse is cut out for.  The mental focus and discipline it takes to be a reliable therapeutic riding horse can be overwhelming to a lot of horses.

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