Live & Prosper Article

At ManeGait Therapeutic Horsemanship in McKinney, lives of children and adults are improved by the healing power of the horse with the support of a dedicated and caring community. With 20 four-hooved therapists serving an average of 110 riders each year, hundreds of volunteers are required in every aspect of ManeGait from barn work to helping in the arena during lessons to helping in the office to keep ManeGait flourishing. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and each has his or her own story to tell about their time at ManeGait.

For Brenda Alexander of Prosper, her entire family has their own ManeGait story. Brenda became involved with ManeGait through her job at Avalon Consulting, LLC. Her boss is on the Board of Directors and had no shortage of great things to say about this wonderful place. Being an accountant, Brenda’s first volunteering opportunity was on the finance committee, one of the many volunteer-lead committees at ManeGait. It was there she met the staff and got to witness what made ManeGait so special. “Everyone was so willing to give of their time to guide ManeGait financially and make it a better place for the riders,” Brenda says.

It wasn’t long before Brenda wanted to spend more time in the arena with our riders. She went through volunteer training and became a side-walker during lessons. “It is so heartwarming to see the riders respond to the instructors and to witness some of the personal accomplishments of the individual riders,” she says. “It is also very touching to get high fives from the riders and thank yous from the parents.”  

Because of her experiences, Brenda knew she had to get her family involved. They began volunteering at events, and now ManeGait’s annual Gaitapalooza festival is also their annual family event. From cooking burgers to parking cars to side-walking, the Alexanders have volunteered their time and been truly blessed by the experiences. Brenda’s husband, R.B., volunteers during events by cooking burgers for all of our guests. Olivia and Kristen joined their mom in the arena and became side-walkers during lessons. Kristen also interned at ManeGait and learned why the people of ManeGait mean so much to her mother.

Now the girls and their mom volunteer together in lessons and in doing so have strengthened their relationships. Brenda states, “It is a special mother/daughter bonding experience.  We will always treasure the times we have together and remember some of the special times in the arena.”

You and your family can volunteer too. Visit our website at www.manegait.org to learn more about getting involved with this organization that changes lives, not only of the riders in therapy, but of the people who give their time to helping those in need.