A Therapeutic Experience

Each summer, Warm Beach Camp has the privilege of welcoming teens and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities to Camp SunSparrow to attend a week of Day Camp. During this time, they have fun, make friends, and gain new and impactful life skills and experiences. Amidst the busyness of the summer months, one activity that stands out is the thoughtfully coordinated horse encounter, which is brought by Warm Beach Horsemanship team members one afternoon a week. This activity has quickly become a favorite for campers, staff, and volunteers alike!

For many Camp SunSparrow participants, horses have only been experienced by observation and from a distance- through a car window or, perhaps, on a screen in a movie. At Warm Beach Camp, the goal for our campers isn’t a passive or observational experience. Our goal is to create personal, interactive experiences that have a lasting impact on the lives of Camp SunSparrow participants. It is activities and experiences such as these that make a week of Camp feel more like a heart home – a place that gives a deep sense of security and belongingness. That is exactly what Camp SunSparrow is about – being a place where “…even the sparrow finds a home…” (Psalm 84:3).

Horsemanship has made it possible for Camp SunSparrow participants to have an up-close and personal horse encounter like never before! At just a glance, the horse encounter reveals a sense of wonder in the eyes of those who have never seen a horse within arm’s reach before, as well as those who have seen horses up close a hundred times over. We have had the opportunity to witness campers approach these horses with the corners of their mouths upturned into a tentative and gentle smile, soon to erupt into joyful bliss and an unabashed grin!

This experience provides campers with a unique sensory experience that engages many of their senses, including sight, sound, smell, and touch. This is a particularly valuable experience for many Camp SunSparrow participants, including those who seek and crave a high level of sensory input. This (high intensity) sensory input, in turn, helps many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities feel calmer and more regulated. From the coarse texture of a horse’s long mane to the silky smoothness of their muzzle, from the earthy scent of barn life to the familiar neigh offered as a greeting. The horses involved are blessings from God, providing campers with an uncommon and highly rewarding therapeutic experience that they await with great expectation.

The horse encounter provided by Warm Beach Horsemanship removes barriers that turn campers into mere bystanders and onlookers, and welcomes them in as they are, encouraging them to engage fully as participants. This opportunity creates a memorable and tangible experience that Camp participants carry with them each year. With summer fast approaching, the staff, volunteers, and campers are all looking forward to another horse encounter!

– Adriene Duguay, Developmental Disabilities Ministries Coordinator
Warm Beach Camp