A Loaves and Fishes Summer

This summer, a group of young people arrived to attend Warm Beach Horse Day Camp. As is common with these introductory lessons, youth arrive who have never ridden a horse before. A 1,000-pound animal can terrify a child, and to sit atop a horse for the first time can be downright intimidating! In these instances, instructors take great care to pair the young rider with a horse fit to handle the task.

A First-Time Rider’s Breakthrough Moment

During week one of Horse Day Camp, there was a young girl who was exhibiting high anxiety when it was time to begin a mounted lesson. The instructor helped this young rider to sit in the discomfort of feeling terrified, helping her to see that nothing bad was going to happen to her. The instructor coached her to ground herself in the tactile sensory details of her surroundings. The feel of the reins in her hands, the saddle under her, the smell of the arena, calming her breath, to breathe in unison and feel at one with the horse. In that moment, the anxiety was washed away, she overcame the instinct of fight-or-flight, and she could begin the lesson.

As this young rider, the horse, and the instructor slowly moved around the arena, a weight was lifted. She experienced that first breakthrough moment, and as her posture loosened, by the third time around the arena, she was beaming! Time stood still during that brief exchange as the girl felt a sense of accomplishment, and her love for horses grew, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces. For the remainder of the week, this young rider grew in confidence and courageously kept getting up on that horse! Ministry at The Stables happens in these small moments of surrender, growth, and victory.

Lessons in Faith from the Arena

Much like our faith walk with Jesus, we yearn to feel in control, especially when facing the unknowns of this world. But God always approaches our fears with tenderness and not force. When we surrender to Jesus, it’s not because life is easy, but because He is perfectly trustworthy.

Watching this young girl overcome her fears resonated deeply with the Horsemanship Team. Heading into the summer, they were down two core team members. With those gaps, the team spent intentional time in prayer, surrendering their plans and lifting all their concerns up to the Lord. With faithfulness, God reassured them every step of the way and miraculously filled every gap they had initially worried about. Meg Siapco, Assistant Horsemanship Director, emphasized,

“God answered so many of our prayers for the summer. He brought us an amazing instructor who took initiative and was so humble in her walk with Christ, as well as an amazing counselor who learned quickly and led ground classes. God knows what is needed to help bring forth transformation in these young riders’ lives. It was profoundly humbling to see God move in ways that exceeded our expectations. Down at The Barn, we have lovingly named this summer, A Loaves and Fishes Summer.”

Looking Ahead to Another Season of Growth and Transformation

With another summer of ministry under their belts, the Horsemanship Team isn’t ready to hang up their boots quite yet! With the core Horsemanship Team back in full swing, fall lessons begin on September 11 for participants ages 8 and older. Horsemanship is in anticipation of seeing how God will move this fall!