Horsepower for Life provides outlet for families facing cancer
Shiree Radie, of Chester Springs, took up horseback riding about seven years ago, after a 20-year hiatus. It’s what she’s done in the past two years that’s remarkable, though.
After not riding from the ages of 11 to 30, Radie volunteered at the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show during Labor Day weekend in 2002. While helping run the ribbon and trophy booth, she realized something — she wanted to be on the other side of the booth.
“I just saw the riders that whole weekend, and I was like, ‘Oh my God. I have to get back into riding again,’” she said.
Radie got in contact with instructor Barbara Rosoff, to literally get back on the horse. In 2007, both Radie and Rosoff had family members die of cancer. Radie’s aunt died of brain cancer; and Rosoff’s uncle succumbed to prostate cancer. Six months later, the two created Horsepower for Life, a nonprofit organization that provides cancer patients and their family members horsemanship classes.
Radie said she and Rosoff started doing research, and found that there were health benefits to cancer patients who took these classes. While there are several organizations that provide horsemanship classes to the handicapped in Pennsylvania, Horsepower for Life is the first organization in the state dedicated to cancer patients.
And since its inception, the organization has worked with more than 50 patients.
“We went through [our family members dying] at about the same time, and that’s when we thought, ‘What can we do to help these families dealing with this?’ because it certainly affects more than just the patient, it affects the whole family on so many different levels,” Radie said.
Horsepower for Life offers a 16-week educational and recreational program for families living with cancer. It’s open to anyone who has been diagnosed with or has been in treatment for cancer within the past five years, and is meant to keep those affected by cancer focused on their minds and bodies, rather than the disease, Radie said. And, it’s not like the participants are being led around a track on a pony ride. The riders learn how to take care of a horse — everything from grooming to putting the saddle on and riding.
“Ninety-nine percent of our riders have never been around a horse, so sometimes, if a rider is not feeling all that confident, we’ll have a volunteer stand behind them as the horse is walking, so they feel more stable on the horse,” Radie said. “At the end, I wouldn’t say that they’re professionals, but they know how to tack up their horse, they know how to mount the horse, and they can walk and trot on their own.”
The lessons are given at Banbury Cross stables in Glenmoore, which in addition to lending its facilities, lends the program some of its lesson horses. Radie also supplies her own thoroughbred gelding for the lessons — Bobby McGee. Though each session is 16-weeks long, students are given 20 weeks to complete it, which accounts for variables like weather, treatment schedules and students generally not feeling so good.
Last spring there were about 25 students in the program and a waiting list. This year, there are about 10 participants and available spots — and enrolment is rolling.
For the first 18 months of the program, Radie said she provided the lessons to cancer patients and family member at no cost. Lamentably, she said, Horsepower for Life can’t keep that up. The program is now $20 per patient per 90-minute lesson; $30 including a family member. She said the costs are heavily discounted and much lower than other trainers, which charge between $60 and $70 per hour; Radie adds that other nonprofit stables charge about $40 per hour.
To help defray programming costs, Horsepower for Life will hold its second annual Cancer Walk Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Warwick County Park, 191 County Park Road, Pottstown. Admission is $10 per person; and $5 for children under 12 years old.
Dogs and horses are welcome as well. Radie said she hopes to bring in more than the $2,000 the walk took in last year, which will go toward food, veterinary care and stable costs for the horses — which, in turn, will help keep peoples’ spirits up during cancer treatment.
“[The program] is doing just what we want it to do,” Radie said. “It takes their minds off of it, it’s increasing their confidence level, and it’s just making them feel better about life in general.”
For more information about the program or the walk, call 484-341-8393; or visit www.horsepowerforlife.org.
After not riding from the ages of 11 to 30, Radie volunteered at the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show during Labor Day weekend in 2002. While helping run the ribbon and trophy booth, she realized something — she wanted to be on the other side of the booth.
“I just saw the riders that whole weekend, and I was like, ‘Oh my God. I have to get back into riding again,’” she said.
Radie got in contact with instructor Barbara Rosoff, to literally get back on the horse. In 2007, both Radie and Rosoff had family members die of cancer. Radie’s aunt died of brain cancer; and Rosoff’s uncle succumbed to prostate cancer. Six months later, the two created Horsepower for Life, a nonprofit organization that provides cancer patients and their family members horsemanship classes.
Radie said she and Rosoff started doing research, and found that there were health benefits to cancer patients who took these classes. While there are several organizations that provide horsemanship classes to the handicapped in Pennsylvania, Horsepower for Life is the first organization in the state dedicated to cancer patients.
And since its inception, the organization has worked with more than 50 patients.
“We went through [our family members dying] at about the same time, and that’s when we thought, ‘What can we do to help these families dealing with this?’ because it certainly affects more than just the patient, it affects the whole family on so many different levels,” Radie said.
Horsepower for Life offers a 16-week educational and recreational program for families living with cancer. It’s open to anyone who has been diagnosed with or has been in treatment for cancer within the past five years, and is meant to keep those affected by cancer focused on their minds and bodies, rather than the disease, Radie said. And, it’s not like the participants are being led around a track on a pony ride. The riders learn how to take care of a horse — everything from grooming to putting the saddle on and riding.
“Ninety-nine percent of our riders have never been around a horse, so sometimes, if a rider is not feeling all that confident, we’ll have a volunteer stand behind them as the horse is walking, so they feel more stable on the horse,” Radie said. “At the end, I wouldn’t say that they’re professionals, but they know how to tack up their horse, they know how to mount the horse, and they can walk and trot on their own.”
The lessons are given at Banbury Cross stables in Glenmoore, which in addition to lending its facilities, lends the program some of its lesson horses. Radie also supplies her own thoroughbred gelding for the lessons — Bobby McGee. Though each session is 16-weeks long, students are given 20 weeks to complete it, which accounts for variables like weather, treatment schedules and students generally not feeling so good.
Last spring there were about 25 students in the program and a waiting list. This year, there are about 10 participants and available spots — and enrolment is rolling.
For the first 18 months of the program, Radie said she provided the lessons to cancer patients and family member at no cost. Lamentably, she said, Horsepower for Life can’t keep that up. The program is now $20 per patient per 90-minute lesson; $30 including a family member. She said the costs are heavily discounted and much lower than other trainers, which charge between $60 and $70 per hour; Radie adds that other nonprofit stables charge about $40 per hour.
To help defray programming costs, Horsepower for Life will hold its second annual Cancer Walk Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Warwick County Park, 191 County Park Road, Pottstown. Admission is $10 per person; and $5 for children under 12 years old.
Dogs and horses are welcome as well. Radie said she hopes to bring in more than the $2,000 the walk took in last year, which will go toward food, veterinary care and stable costs for the horses — which, in turn, will help keep peoples’ spirits up during cancer treatment.
“[The program] is doing just what we want it to do,” Radie said. “It takes their minds off of it, it’s increasing their confidence level, and it’s just making them feel better about life in general.”
For more information about the program or the walk, call 484-341-8393; or visit www.horsepowerforlife.org.
