GREENFIELD — One by one, a group of 12-year-old boys and girls entered the indoor riding arena at Stoneleigh-Burnham School, each leading his or her favorite horse to show to their families.
The 19 students are all Greenfield Middle School sixth-graders who celebrated learning about equine care and horseback riding during a ceremony Saturday morning.
The students have been able to learn from SBS staff for an hour and a half each school day as part of a unique partnership between the two schools. The program was launched at the start of the school year by SBS Equestrian Director George Halkett, GMS Associate Principal Angela Ruggeri and Greenfield Public Schools Superintendent Jordana Harper.
“Last summer, I began thinking about what we could offer the Greenfield students that they weren’t already getting,” Harper said. “We were able to come up with a proposal that was thrilling and unique.”
Harper remembers being timid the first time she was around a horse, and how she learned to love the animals. She said she saw the same transformation in the students, who have “gone from timid to tremendously confident.”
Each day, GMS staff member Tarsis Theofanidis brought the students to Stoneleigh, where they learned to handle, groom, feed, tack and care for horses and ponies. They also learned to ride at a walk, trot and canter, and developed a strong understanding of stable management.
During the ceremony, Halkett and Assistant Stable Manager/Instructor Rebecca Castine presented the students with medals and certificates in Riding and Stable Management, and the students’ families were able to watch their children with the horses.
“It was a great experience,” said Kim French, whose daughter Heather French participated in the program. “Her confidence definitely grew.”
“It means a lot,” said Zussette Rivera, whose daughter Shellsea Ortiz participated. “It’s a new experience, and it has also taught her discipline and to be respectful with animals.”
Rivera herself grew up around horses, and first introduced her daughter to them while visiting family in Puerto Rico. Because of her personal experience with horses, she knew it was something she wanted for her children as well.
“(The program) should be for all grades, for sure,” said Christina Gallison, whose daughter Felicia Gallison participated. “It teaches kids discipline in the ring and at home.”
“I thought it would be easy because it looked easy in the movies,” Felicia Gallison said.
“It was a lot of hard work … but I had a great year,” she added. Felicia Gallison spoke of muscle aches after coming home from the barn, but also of the relationship she built with her favorite mare, Dallas.
One parent even said that the riding program had had a positive effect on his daughter’s academic performance.
“I really did see a huge improvement in my daughter’s grades and her confidence in school, which was amazing,” said Jeremy Remillard of his daughter Lilly Remillard.
The program is funded in large part by an Expanded Learning Time grant that was awarded to GMS. However, Nicole Letourneau, assistant director of communications for the girl’s prep school, said that Stoneleigh provides the opportunity to the 19 students at a very low cost, about what it would cost one student to participate in the program.
“It’s very sad to see them go,” Halkett said of the students. “Hopefully down the road … they’ll take up riding because they’ve got the skills.”
The two schools intend to continue their partnership next year and in the future, to the delight of parents like Jeremy Remillard and Zussette Rivera, who expressed interest in having their younger children participate as well.