ARTICLE - TEACHING DISABLED KIDS HOW TO RIDE

HAITIANS LEARN TO TEACH DISABLED KIDS HOW TO RIDE
(Palm Beach Post) -

It takes plenty of effort to become a riding instructor certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship.

To qualify, one must go through several steps, including a workshop, first-aid certification and a written test.

It isn't easy for most. Imagine how challenging it is for two from Haiti.

While their country was being ravaged by hurricanes and earthquakes, Tipap Noricin and Louis Guerdes kept teaching children with disabilities how to ride horses.

The men work with Romy Tschudi-Roy at the Chateaublond Equestrian Center in the mountains outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Tschudi-Roy and her daughter Daniela Roy split their time between their barn in Weston and the school in Haiti.

Despite the country's recent natural disasters, the school is succeeding.

"The school is doing fantastic," Daniela said. "They see about 20 kids a day."

Instructors from PATH, formerly known as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, held the certification workshop Aug. 6 at Stillpoint Farm in Wellington.

Noricin and Guerdes joined instructors from Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center in Loxahatchee. Vinceremos and Chateaublond have a long-standing partnership.

"The PATH instructors come down only on request, once there is a big group that wants to get certified," Daniela said.

"Both the instructors are really friendly and patient. I've learned a lot, not just about therapeutic riding but about how to teach in general."

Before the workshop, Noricin and Guerdes relaxed at Daniela's home, went shopping and watched television. They were eager to get to work and begin the certification process.

"The guys were thrilled not just to be here but to be able to learn from people who have been doing this forever," Daniela said. "Someone like Tipap or Louis never would have been exposed to this. They were sitting here while Olympic riders were training in the ring."

The Haitian trainers speak little English, but the hands-on portion of the workshop taught them a great deal about how to interact with the riders.

"I've learned a lot already about the mount and dismount," Noricin said through an interpreter. "We just take the kids and put them on. We don't have equipment, but we learned some easy techniques for getting kids on and off the horses. I'd love to learn even more and get to work with Kim (Henning) hands-on and see how she deals with the kids."

Henning has been a PATH instructor since 1995.

" What Tipap and Louis are doing for their country is fantastic, in spite of everything going on in Haiti," Henning said. "They are working really hard to make this great opportunity happen for kids who otherwise wouldn't have it."

The Haitian instructors are looking forward to sharing what they've learned with their riders.

"I love my job," Noricin said. "It's given me so many opportunities to learn more, become a better person and visit places I've never been."