By Jondi Gumz
Ordinarily, the barns at the Monterey Bay Horsemanship & Therapeutic Center would be humming with activity this year of year, and 50 young people with autism would be eager for the opportunity to ride one of the horses.
Founder Anne Pearson
Because of Covid restrictions set by the San Andreas Regional Center, allowing only 16 students to visit each month, it’s pretty quiet.
Usha brought her daughter Malika for her 20-minute ride on Jack, who is a big shire. He’s 18 hands — a hand is four inches.
“We’ve been doing this for 14 years,” Usha said, lifting her daughter back into her wheelchair.
Now that the San Andreas Regional Center has eased restrictions, founder Anne Pearson wants to ramp up activity.
She has 300 beginners coming to participate in a Jewish camp from beginning of June to the end of August.
She needs volunteers. She needs staff. And she’ll probably need more horses — if the number of students returns to normal.
She did get money through the federal Payroll Protection Program, but with the restrictions, there was no way to avoid layoffs — “a heartbreaker.”
No way would she give up — this is her life’s work.
She comes from a riding background.
Rebekah with Sophiya • Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
Looking for a place for her adopted son, who is severely autistic and used a wheelchair, she found a place with horses on Old San Jose Road in Soquel, which he loved.
At age 9, he left his wheelchair, and never needed it again, she says.
She saw potential in the defunct dairy at the Monterey Bay Academy. A lot of clean-up and the generosity of Monterey Bay Academy turned it into the Monterey Bay Horsemanship and Therapeutic Center.
It’s been 27 years.
A big federal grant “got us going,” she says.
Now, with a milestone birthday approaching, Pearson is counting on the community to help her keep the operation going.
Some of the people on staff are like family — they are autistic and they’ve chosen to live with Pearson in Watsonville.
Brooke, who was on the vaulting team, says, “I like being here with Anne.” Her specialty is buckets. Rebekah, who began riding dressage at age 13, provides a tour, sharing details on all the horses. New in the household is a young mom with a toddler whose antics put a smile on everyone’s face.
Rebekah says she had a horse that died at age 17, and she is looking forward to getting another one.
Students who volunteer can get community service hours, which often are required for graduation.
Some students have gotten the experience they needed to enter veterinary school.
The pay rate for staff, set by the San Andreas Regional Center, is comparable to care workers, and Pearson says she tries to pay more.
The work can be rewarding.
Horses calm riders with autism. The bilateral stride of the horses works on the parasympathetic nervous system, and other systems in the body as well.
“It works — it’s amazing,” says Pearson. “Please come and visit us.”
This program can be supported through the Amazon Smile program.
•••
For more info, see www.gombhtc.org or call (831) 761-1142.