Et cetera : Miracles in Motion: Oak 4 serves equestrian center near Swisher

A staff member trains Oak 4 on how to set up "tack."

Megan Michael weeds in the outdoor arena at Miracles in Motion.

By: Forrest Maher and Jessica Beck

Oak 4 is wrapping up their service in Swisher, Iowa at Miracles in Motion, a therapeutic equestrian center.

The first two days of the project consisted of training to be horse committee members, side walkers and barn assistants. The team learned how to set up “tack” and prepare the horses for classes. Setting up tack included getting the liners, saddle pads, saddles, leathers and stirrups ready for the horses that will be used in class. The team also groomed the horses and prepared their stalls before and after classes.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, Oak 4 has been involved in various classes provided by the therapeutic equestrian center. The team members’ main positions in the courses have been to side walk and lead the horses. Examples of the classes include Hippotherapy and the Leg-up program.

On Tuesdays and Fridays there were no classes, so Oak 4 instead has been doing maintenance on the facility. Tasks included weeding, cleaning, organizing and other landscaping duties. Areas that have been weeded include the outdoor arena, barn, storage barn, office building and some fence lines. There have also been a variety of cleaning duties such as removing horse manure from the pastures and stalls, dusting around indoor areas and sweeping. In addition to these tasks, Oak 4 also has been repairing broken fences along the property and replaces broken boards with new ones.

Overall, Oak 4 for the past three weeks has been helping the organization with much needed maintenance and assisting with classes. Miracles In Motion’s mission is to foster personal achievement by providing diverse equestrian activities with therapeutic, educational and recreational benefits for persons with disabilities.