Tierra Village is honored and privileged to partner with Alatheia Riding Center. Alatheia Riding Center uses the healing power of horses to change the lives of physically and developmentally disabled children and adults. All five of our adult family home residents participate in a 10 week course at Alatheia each fall. Alatheia is one of the premiere non-profit organizations in North Central Washington, with beautiful facilities, tons of volunteers, excellent management, a full schedule of riders, and great fundraisers.
Alatheia is the highlight of the week for several residents of Coyote House. One of our residents, Leslie, was very hesitant to get on the horses at first, but now she loves it! I must say that I am not a horse guy. I had a bad experience. Don’t ask. But, I guess I like the Fjord horses they use. They are big and stout, yet very gentle. The residents are far more brave than I!
Participants get to work both on and off the horses. They groom and tack, and take rides in the arena and on the trails.
Alatheia is located on Sleepy Hollow Heights just outside of Wenatchee. The view, to the north, of the Cascade Foothills, is gorgeous. Since we do our session in the fall, the weather is just right for riding and the dust stays to a minimum.
After their rides, our participants, as well as myself and our Americorps volunteer, Ellen, are kind of “buzzed”. It’s kind of like a Sushi buzz or something. It’s hard to explain, but the van ride home was energetically peaceful in a way. It’s not always that way, but the last time we left Alatheia it was.
Alatheia may have made me into a horse person after all...