Saddle up at Spirit Horse Education Ranch. Here's how the Asheboro organization helps child development

Jan. 6—Rosie Goldstein's life with horses started at 6 months old. By the time she reached 5, she had her pony.

Her life was all about horses and her love for them would blossom into organizations to help children.

Spirit Horse Education Ranch, located on 2761 Old Cedar Falls Rd., Asheboro, houses various horses and ponies with the mission of educating and healing children.

The horse ranch works with Kids In Motion, a pediatric therapy service in Asheboro. CEO and therapist Amy Neeble bring the children twice a week. Instead of having their sessions in the office, therapists have them at the farm.

Goldstein said some of the children have walkers, were premature babies or have difficulty with their motor skills, but they seem to respond well to the horses.

According to Goldstein, being on the horses helps them balance because they sit on horses. Riding also helps children gain upper body strength and does not require them to stand. Besides physical benefits, the horses teach children confidence, strength and communication skills.

Amy Neeble, CEO of Kids in Motion and pediatric physical therapist, said some of their kids have gross motor delays such as low muscle tone. Being able to sit upright on a horse helps children engage muscles that they do not normally engage. Neeble said it is also an enjoyable activity for the kids.

"It's been a year and a half since we partnered with the farm," Neeble said. "We had multiple kids complete physical therapy sessions on the horse and we have seen incredible benefits such as increased strength and balance."

The ranch also provides after-school programs at which children can come twice a week to learn what it is like to care for horses — putting on their halters and brushing and feeding them. After the lessons, children get to write about what they learn.

The horse farm further considers more ways to attract children with its reading program during the summer. The program is the whole month of July and children attend three times each week, read a book about horses and even read to the horses.

Goldstein said they read a couple of pages at a time and then the group comes together to talk about the story to see what they remember. They also get a notebook, crayons and pencils to help bring out their creativity from the stories.

The nonprofit organization was created to help all children in Asheboro. Goldstein said most children in the area would not go if the farm were not reduced. Prices range from $40 for riding instructions to $360 for a three-week summer reading program.

The program provides books that tell stories about horses while assisting children with their reading skills.

Goldstein prides herself in her Spanish Mustangs. She said they are related to the horses brought over by the Spaniards in the 16th century. The horses are registered and have papers that follow their lineage.

Mustangs, she said, are smart but are not as big as other horses, which she likes because smaller horses are better for kids. Also, some kids have never been around a horse, so if they are intimidated, she has small ponies they can ride.

Goldstein brought many ponies with her from Long Island, New York. In Long Island, she had an organization called Blue Ribbon Pony Farm Inc., where her team worked with kids to give pony rides and lessons. She moved to Asheboro in 2002 and it was an adjustment for her.

"When I came here, I brought 14 animals with me. So my criteria for the farm was to find a place that took care of the animals immediately," Goldstein said. "This particular property supplied that and has an old tobacco barn that is so unique."

When she had the barn fixed, she found it was probably built in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Goldstein thinks it is incredible that she and the kids get to use it.

With the classic and old feel of the farm, Goldstein knows many children in the area could use this resource. She would love to get more to come but she struggles to reach people.

Goldstein believes it's either parent not knowing or getting the children to the farm. Some of the parents are working or single-family households. She dreams of getting a van to pick up and drop off those children one day.

"I think all of these things could help, but we have to get to it. So now it's one person at a time," Goldstein said. "Every person that comes is one more person and maybe we can help them somehow. Or maybe they have a good experience and spread the word to the next person."

Goldstein understands the lack of awareness behind the farm in many communities in Asheboro. She wants to help children of all races and backgrounds, but transportation is one of the biggest problems.

The owner also has parents of color who want to get their children on the right track. One of those parents is a mother afraid her young African-American son will join the wrong crowd in his neighborhood. However, he can expand his options when he goes to the farm. Goldstein would like to bring him to the farm more but has to build more activities.

One of her volunteers is an African American young adult who developed during her time at the farm. She wanted to stay longer and help full-time, but no salary was available. Goldstein wants to be in a position to employ more people who can bring knowledge to their communities.

Goldstein is passionate about helping children grow, whether learning to ride a horse or coming out of their shells. Here are some kids Goldstein had the pleasure of helping.

Hayden — 'A bright young girl with dedication'

"She is a very bright young girl and she's been coming for a little while. She's got great posture and we can see she's excelled in learning," Goldstein said. "She's very into it and wants to continue because she is dedicated. She wants to learn how to ride that horse and that's a wonderful thing."

It's been about two years on and off since Hayden started. Goldstein said she has really excelled and done very well even though she has not been there regularly.

Riley — 'She worked through it'

Riley started coming to the farm to take lessons when she was about 12 years old. She was timid and wanted to ride horses, but she was a little afraid of them. So Goldstein worked through all of that and Riley kept coming until she loved being here. Eventually, she started getting really good.

When we started doing those programs, she began volunteering and became such a chatterbox with the kids. She became such a big help and now she's in college at North Carolina State University.

"Since she's home, this is her first time coming here, so we're all very happy to see her. Some of the kids that I have stayed and those are the ones that are dedicated," Goldstein said.

In the future, Goldstein aims to install an arena cover for rainy weather so children can still ride. She also hopes to get more support from the community to ensure that children who still cannot afford to go can participate.

Petruce Jean-Charles is a Government Watchdog Reporter. They are interested in what's going on in the community and are open to tips on people, businesses and issues. Contact Petruce at pjeancharles@gannett.com and follow @PetruceKetsia on Twitter.

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