We’re deeply grateful
to everyone who’s shared their
experiences. Your kind words, trust in our team mean a lot to us. 

Cora has been taking part in therapeutic horse riding since she was 6 years old, having now turned 18 in September of 2024.

 

Cora was born with alcohol fetal syndrome, a drug baby, she had a stroke in the womb, is on the autism spectrum and has a number of diagnosed learning disabilities.

 

The early prognosis for Cora was that she would never walk, talk, be toilet trained,

understand empathy, sympathy or humour.

 

There are not enough words to explain how therapeutic horse riding has changed Cora’s life and the life of our family.

 

In May of 2024 Cora was accepted into UNB Saint John for a Bachelor of Arts and in September began attending university.

 

This for Cora and for us as a family being a real milestone.

From being told that Cora would never walk, talk, be toilet trained, understand empathy, sympathy or humour, to be accepted into University of a true testimony to Cora’s spirit of hard work and determination.

 

In the Spring of 2021 when we contacted Shining Horizons to enrolled Cora into the program having relocated from Ottawa, we were super excited to learn that Paula was going to be Cora’s instructor. Paula had been Cora’s instructor when we lived in Ottawa and so it was the perfect transition – hand in glove kind of moment enabling Cora to fit in seamlessly at Shining Horizons. It was almost like we had never moved.

 

Cora talks of her time riding as her happy place. This being no more evident when through most of her middle and high school life she was bullied at school due to her special needs. Shining Horizons very much giving Cora that special place, her happy place on those days when things hadn’t gone so well. Cora’s whole demeanor changes on the drive to Shining Horizons and on arrival her face beams with excited and joy in anticipation of what is to come, she cannot wait to get out of the car and skip off into the barn looking for Paula.

 

Now having reach the ripe old age of 18! and being at university thankfully the bullying has stopped, and she is now being accepted for the young intelligent vibrant human being that she is.

 

Shining Horizons with the love, care, nurture and support they have provided in Cora’s high school formative years have set her up for success and played a huge roll in Cora reaching her full potential.

 

Cora continues to grow and flourish through coming to Shining Horizons with continual improvement in her social skills, her fine and gross motor skills, and emotional regulation amongst many other areas.

 

Helping her with non-verbal social cues and being able connect with others in a calm way. Cora is such a loving and caring young lady with a unique ability to tap into other people’s emotions, she loves to come alongside the younger riders and encourage them – who’d have thought! And she has an amazing sense of humour.

 

Regularly as I watch through the window of the family room,

I can see Cora, Paula and the volunteers laughing together as they enjoy being with one another. It is truly wonderful to see.

 

The bonds that Cora has been able to build with the horses and Paula and the volunteers has enable continued trust and empathy with horses, which continues to strengthen Cora’s social skills.

 

There are still many things that Cora works on with Paula and the team, improving her balance, functional performance and emotional regulation – Cora has tough days as do we all. But being at Shining Horizons helps those moments to just melt away, helping her to restore calm and reduce anxiety.

 

We are forever thankful for the continual improvements we get to see in Cora as she rides at Shining Horizons, at home, at Uni and as she engages with the world around her.

 

And it goes without saying how thankful we are to Paula and the team at shining horizons, they are truly a testimony to the spirit of human love, compassion and a desire to see people like Cora reach their full potential.

​

​