Spirit of Hope Youth Ranch

While interning with DHR in the fall of 2009, I received a case of a 16-year-old girl who struggled with internalizing and externalizing problems (both physical and emotional problems). I knew from reading her file that the one constant was her love for animals. Upon our first meeting at the Hillcrest Behavioral Facility, she expressed to me her love of horses. I wanted to give her something special and I researched regular horseback riding. Instead, I found the Spirit of Hope Youth Ranch through someone with the Birmingham Humane Society.

I planned to bring her to SOHYR from September to December, every other week. I was not sure what to expect from SOHYR other than what I read. But I thought it would satisfy her desire to be around horses. Missy Cox met with us that first day, and we began by grooming horses.

Right off, Kaylin (name changed) was glowing from being able to be around the animals. She loved the animals, but her experiences with her father colored her interactions with them. She relayed over time to me that her father was quick to anger and quick to punish. She used aggression over firmness, which did not mean she was physically harmful to any of the animals. She just had learned inappropriate skills in dealing with a misbehaving peer or animal.

Over time, I noticed improvement in Kaylin when she worked with Missy and the horses. Missy was able to teach Kaylin that subtle movement was all that was needed when guiding a horse. She also demonstrated to Kaylin that a firm voice in teaching a horse was more useful than yelling or a harsh tone. Even at Hillcrest, Kaylin was earning all her points and her passes to go home. She was also making better decisions in her everyday life. She was avoiding the drama with the other girls.

The last few times I brought Kaylin out, Missy showed her how to lunge with a horse in the round pen. I think being able to personally experience lunging a horse demonstrated to Kaylin what Missy was trying to convey to her through all of the sessions. On our way back to Hill Crest, Kaylin and I would discuss some of what she learned. She expressed to me the understanding and connection between human-horse interaction and human-human interaction.

I believe Kaylin is a strong young woman who was ready for a change from her normal temperament and behavior. Our time at SOHYR was serendipitous in that it coincided with her time in Hillcrest. I believe SOHYR along with the structured environment of Hillcrest allowed her to begin to change some of her habits and outlook on life.

By Angela, a volunteer