Let's hear from Emily…
You were one of the founders of Endeavor Therapeutic Horsemanship in 2014, can you share a little bit about what you were doing prior to your involvement in the organization and how the organization came about?
At every age horses have always been an incredibly important part of my life. After college, I went to work in NYC and missed being around horses. I looked into ways I didn't necessarily have to be riding but could be with them and found volunteering opportunities at therapeutic riding centers. The instructor at the center convinced me to quit my job and join the world of equine assisted therapies. Caveat, my family has been involved in thoroughbred horse racing since the 1960s so I always had a pie in the sky dream to combine retraining/repurposing thoroughbreds for second or third careers with equine assisted services.
I was incredibly fortunate to meet a group of strong women that benefited from horses - whether it was equine assisted therapies or just being in the horse community. We decided to try to start our own center in Bedford and attempt to have a broader and flexible lens. We started with one pony and less than a dozen participants and it has grown to where we are today.
You were a competitive rider yourself and come from a family of horse owners. Growing up, did you envision turning your passion into a career in the nonprofit world?
I did not, however I always knew horses would be at the center of whatever work I would do. My mom ran foundations and always focused on nonprofit efforts and I was able to be exposed to the inner workings of the not-for-profit world from an early age. Now looking back on it, I see the building blocks that took me to Endeavor but it was not calculated.
How did you and your family end up deciding to settle in Bedford?
I used to commute up to Brewster from Manhattan and would take different routes back to the city and kept finding myself driving through Bedford. I fell in love and we moved out early (prior to marriage, kids, etc) with my now husband Oliver in 2012. I claimed it was halfway between NYC and Boston (where he grew up) and that we would only come up on weekends. Once I was up here I had little interest in going back to the city. I started riding again in Bedford, we were working on Endeavor, and I met so many inspirational women that were eager to get this project off the ground.
Endeavor’s mission is to empower individuals with a broad range of needs by providing equine-assisted services while maintaining an inclusive and welcoming environment. Can you talk about the range of different individuals that Endeavor serves and what success might look like for them?
We work with three main populations: Veterans/Active Duty Military, at risk youth living in residential facilities, and children and adults with special needs. Some of our services are recreational so the participant is learning a new sport (horseback riding) or learning how to care for horses on the ground with our unmounted programs. Some of our other services are clinical, for example a physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech language pathologist, social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist partnering with the equine to achieve the specific clinical goals of the client.
Each person that participates at Endeavor has short term and long term goals. These might look like riding independently or grooming and tacking up a horse without needing verbal reminders. For our clinical participants, their goals are specific to the clinician they are working with - gross motor strength, language expression, addiction etc. We measure the recreational, therapeutic and clinical outcomes for each of our programs so we can identify strengths, points of growth and then challenges we should approach differently. So for a person enrolled in a recreational program, they have therapeutic benefits that are innate to working with horses (whether on the ground or on horseback). Identifying emotions, clear communication, understanding body language, gross and fine motor strength and mobility.
Veterans, active service members and first responders make up a portion of the Endeavor community - how do you see this population specifically taking what they’ve gained through the program back to their own careers and lives?
This program is our largest at Endeavor and keeps growing and is also free of charge. We work with several partners to support this population including the VA Hospitals (in-patient and outpatient), Westchester Court System, and other nonprofits supporting Veterans and their families.
Veteran's self-report a decrease in: anxiety, suicidal ideation, intrusive and racing thoughts, flashbacks, feelings of shame, anxious thoughts, PTSD symptoms, relapse, self-harm, paranoia. Veteran's self-report an increase in: ability to manage mental health, self-empowerment, ability to overcome fears, familial relations, hope, ability to self-regulate, coping mechanisms. We are in the works of starting a pilot program for vocational training - so stay tuned. We are hoping we can build upon the clinical improvements and equine knowledge to help with job placements and stability.
What is it about the relationship between horses and humans that makes a program like Endeavor possible? How are the services that Endeavor provides individuals different or similar to other kinds of traditional physical and mental health therapy?
Horses and humans have such a long history of cohabitation that our evolution is incredibly intertwined and interdependent. Horses, as prey animals and herd animals, are incredibly perceptive, reflective, and expressive. These traits enable humans to interact with them and see a reflection of themself and then address and name the behavior/emotion/thought and come to their own aha moment. Sometimes this is discussed, sometimes this is a silent occurrence - but the horses are really the ones doing the work with the participants. We are here to educate and hold space as needed.
And for riding horses, the movement of the horses gait and the rotation of their pelvis mimics how humans should move. So these rhythmic gaits enable bodies that don’t know where they are in space or are not able to move in a traditional manner to do that. By organizing the body, other activities are more likely to happen: communication, following direction, increase in range of motion or strength. And it’s fun, you aren’t going to another doctor, you are going to a farm where you can relax and enjoy.
Like so many businesses, you had to close the barn during the pandemic and pivot to online courses for your riders (all while taking care of a newborn!), what was that experience like and what if anything did you learn from it?
Our team at Endeavor is incredible. They are talented, passionate, creative, and inspiring. And I’m talking about the horses and the humans - the staff, our board of directors, and our 100+ volunteers. I’m humbled by what we have created and going through covid really illustrated just how much these connections matter - especially - to those that were already isolated.
It was comparable to what we see with horses. When horses deal with change and stress some might pick fights, some might be lethargic, some might be anxious. They care for themselves and care for each other relying on their herd. I think covid really made me double down and want to make sure Endeavor has long term sustainability ie focus on the indoor.
What are some of the greatest lessons you’ve learned both personally and professionally through running Endeavor and what advice would you give to others thinking about starting or running a nonprofit?
I think it is a business first. Running a nonprofit, you’re energized by passion making the world better, but it's still a business. And the only way for it to work is if it is successful past its founders. I think that should be the goal when starting to come up with an idea and then find smart, dedicated people, and work as a team. (or as a herd ba dam bum couldn’t help myself).
Endeavor is in the process of a barn raise to build an indoor facility. Can you talk about what the new facility will do for the organization and the community you serve?
We are getting so close! The new facility will transform Endeavor - both by enabling growth to meet the need (some of our wait lists for programs are a year long) and by enabling continuity of services. The indoor will enable the program to run year round independent of weather (both heat and cold). We currently serve 500 individuals per year and the indoor will allow us to grow to 1500 per year. Our goal is to raise $1.5 and we have about $300,000 left to raise.
What are you most excited about in Endeavor’s future?
I’m excited to have our big projects almost behind us and to focus on our programs. This indoor has been a long term strategic goal and key to our sustainability. And it is going to feel incredible to have it built and complete so we can focus on what really matters - our programs.
Lightning Round:
New business you’d most like to see in our area?
This has actually been the hardest for me to answer - I feel like we have so much and there has been a ton of growth. I would love to see a little more density in terms of either apartments/condos or independent senior living. I think it's incredible what our little hamlets offer and so important to keep everyone in business and as we know the housing market is bananas so yes more diverse housing options.
Best thing about living in Bedford?
I feel incredibly lucky and grateful for the friends I have met in Bedford. Making friends as an adult - hard. Being a horse girl who still likes to gallop at recess - awkward. And I think the women in this town especially build each other up and are so quick to help in any way possible. And through covid, our friend circles have come so close to being family - definitely a silver lining.
Favorite horse?
Can I say all horses? Each of my horses that have been in my life are so incredibly special to me so I feel guilty even choosing. BUT! I used to collect horse playing cards (yes you heard me right…remember gallops at recess) and Gem Twist was by far my most coveted. He’s a thoroughbred, incredibly talented, and grey.
What would you do with an extra hour everyday?
Cry of happiness? I would like to ride without any technology anywhere near me. I have not consistently ridden in a very long time and it’s #1 on my list to do to be a more balanced version of myself.
