As senior Emily Jefferson walks into the stables, she can smell that fresh horse scent, a smell she has learned to love. She looks into the arena to see her client eager and ready to ride and thinks to herself: There is no place I would rather be.

Jefferson originally became involved at Chesapeake Therapeutic Riding because she had to complete her service hour requirement for JC. Jefferson has been on the equestrian team for the four years she has been a student. Before riding on the equestrian team she rides at Split Second farm, owned and run by Amy Scampton.

“A friend had told me about the farm and I went to check it out and have been going ever since,” said Jefferson.

The Chesapeake Therapeutic Riding facility uses horses as therapy. Clients arrive and greet their horses.  “We usually start with a warm up while the horse is walking where we do stretches. Then depending on the rider they will go off lead and we will play a game and steer or weave through cones,” said Jefferson.

Depending on the client’s ability, sometimes he or she are allowed to trot, one gait faster than a walk. There is also a sensory trail in the woods on which they are sometimes allowed to go. A sensory trail is a ride outside the ring that resembles an obstacle course.

Jefferson spends much of her free time at the riding facility.  “I am usually there 2-4 days a week for about 4 to 5 hours a day,” said Jefferson.

A normal day for Jefferson starts out with mucking stalls, cleaning out water buckets, dumping all the feed, and bringing all the horses in. Jefferson then grooms and tacks up the horses that clients will be using for that particular day. She takes them down to the arena and either gives them to their assigned leader or becomes the leader.  “Some days I will be a leader or a side walker, but most days I am an instructor and assist in teaching,” said Jefferson. A side walker is someone who stays at the side of the horse to help the client if he or she needs it.

After the lessons Jefferson has to cool down the horses and un-tack them. Then, if Jefferson taught, she has to write down the notes on the client that she taught for the day.

“This experience has shown me how I can make a difference in someone’s life. It is great to see the progress that I have made in the kids. Not only have I learned a lot from my teacher, but also I have learned a lot from the kids. I feel really good when I am there. I can use my passion to help others,” said Jefferson.

Megan Foard is a Multimedia editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.