Arts and Culture China Project #45881

Support Therapeutic Riding for disabled in China

by HOPE (Horses Offering People Enrichment)

Project Report | Mar 24, 2025
New Year & New Opportunities

By Priscilla Lightsey | Founder HOPE Beijing

Dabao at his new home, with frosty whiskers!

Dear HOPE supporters,

Happy Lunar Year of the Snake. The snake represents renewal (shedding its skin) and intelligence. We certainly hope this lunar new year has begun well for you and your loved ones.

Recently members of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), including their Head of Equestrian Affairs who is also President of the FEI Para Dressage Committee, made a visit to HOPE. (The Fédération Equestre Internationale, is the international governing body for equestrian sports.) The HKJC members reported that the horses were in excellent condition, kids were making great progress, and the volunteers were enjoying the program. Now, the HKJC would like to host a conference this summer in Beijing on equine-assisted services. They have invited Priscilla to be a speaker, while she and the HOPE team assist with planning the event. What an honor for HOPE!

Last summer when she was in Beijing, Priscilla met a young physical therapist who studied physical therapy at university in China and came to HOPE because one of the children she was working with had begun adaptive riding lessons with the team. The therapist worked with Priscilla so she could get ideas on how to work on motor skills during the rider’s sessions. Now, she has plans to come out to work with other participants at HOPE. As a PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) member center, HOPE adheres to the guidelines of PATH Intl. to the best of our abilities. In this case, that means that the therapist will offer suggestions or work with participants under Lucia’s supervision since Lucia is a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI). This is an exciting development, and we are proud to be offering these services to our participants.

Our new horse, An’an () is doing well and is a cute addition to the team with her unique coloring! She is still in training to ensure she is comfortable with her career change and the unique situations she may encounter. Coach Zhao, the Equine Director for HOPE, said she has the right temperament for the job and a lot of potential, so we are hopeful for her success.

You may remember that our sweet older pony DaBao was able to fully retire last year. Coach Zhao and Luna have sent pictures of him in his new home. He now lives in Inner Mongolia with Coach Zhao’s family who are taking good of him, and he is doing very well despite his advanced age. HOPE aims to take care of all our equine team members, even in retirement.

As always, thank you for your continued support of HOPE. Your help is what enables us to continue to serve individuals with special needs - aiding participants to gain new skills while having fun with the passionate, skilled team at HOPE!

In gratitude,

Priscilla, Amy, and the HOPE team in Beijing

Helmet fit is important.

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Nov 26, 2024
Updates from HOPE Beijing

By Priscilla Lightsey | Founder

Dear HOPE Supporters,

Thank you for being here and for your continued support of HOPE.

As you know, our dear Gotland pony, Dabao, retired a bit ago and Luna and Xiao Zhao (XZ) were looking after him at a stable near their homes. HOPE volunteers, participants, and staff remained loyal to him and had parties at his stable to celebrate his birthdays. Recently, XZ and Luna moved him to Inner Mongolia to live with XZ’s parents and their horses. Dabao gained energy and his arthritis improved in his new environment allowing him to move more smoothly, quickly, and lightly. Horse welfare is a priority at HOPE because without the horse, we would have no programs to offer. One aspect of our vision is to be an exemplary leader in therapeutic horsemanship; caring for our equines in retirement does just that.

Lucia Zhou, Program Director, has been working tirelessly, both in the arena and out. She was invited to speak at the International Equine Industry Forum in Shanghai in October. A big honor as she was one of four chosen from the entire country. In November, she represented HOPE in HETI’s (Horses in Education & Therapy International) first Asia-Pacific meeting to discuss collaborations between equine-assisted services (EAS) centers in that area of the globe. And, she is leading discussions with Priscilla, Amy, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club to look at an alliance between our organizations. More examples of fulfilling our vision of being a service provider, educator and leader of EAS!

Daxi, a pony HOPE acquired in 2020 began to show behaviors that indicated she was no longer suitable for EAS sessions, so this fall we began to look for a new home for her. She was sold and is now giving lessons to independent riders at a new stable. Videos show Daxi appearing to love her new home and job. The challenge now is for HOPE to find a new pony.

Thank you dear donors. Your support is enabling HOPE to enrich lives in partnership with the horse. What a gift you are, and that you are giving, by providing help to folks with disabilities in China!

In appreciation,

Priscilla, Amy and the HOPE team in Beijing

P.S. A new video about HOPE will be released soon. It will be on display on December 3^rd, Giving Tuesday, on HOPE social media channels.

Links:

HOPE Website

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Aug 1, 2024
Summer Update from HOPE

By Priscilla Lightsey | Founder

Greetings HOPE Supporters,

A lot has been going on at HOPE! In April our dear Luna retired from HOPE after almost 10 years as our Administrative Director. We miss her, but are happy she now has time to travel and relax. Luna was instrumental in HOPE obtaining our NGO (non-governmental organization) status – she worked tirelessly to help HOPE become the respected program that it is today.

In April, Amy visited the HOPE team in Beijing. She was pleased to see how well things were operating. She offered ideas on how to improve tack fit and ground work, helped in classes and provided feedback on horse training and assessment.

In June, Priscilla visited Beijing. What a joy it was to be back and see how well the team works together! Priscilla helped in classes, participated in a Board of Directors meeting, and consulted on participants with physical disabilities.

While Priscilla was there, we realized that our pony DaXi no longer liked her job doing adaptive riding. Once summer camp is over, the hunt for a new pony will begin. It can be challenging to find a horse that is comfortable with a horse-handler, two side-walkers, an unbalanced rider, and toys - all in one class. (Notably, Amy and Lucia did a great job finding Tank in 2019 in a short time. That was unusual and a true gift!)

HOPE is becoming recognized in southeast Asia for our safe and effective equine-assisted services (EAS) as well as our focus on horse welfare. Requests from other provinces in China and Hong Kong are coming in asking for training in EAS. Lucia worked with two coaches from Suzhou in early June. And she, Priscilla, and Xiao Zhao went to Qingdao to present to veterinary students at Qingdao Agriculture University on EAS. Stay tuned as HOPE develops a training program to demonstrate to interested parties what it takes to do EAS in China.

Thank you, kind donors, for being part of the HOPE team. Although your support may not be “in the dirt” it is very much necessary and appreciated!

In gratitude,

Priscilla, Amy and the HOPE team

Links:

HOPE Website

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