Feature Story | Grace | Overcoming Anxiety

When we met Grace, she was a shy middle school girl with adorable blonde curls. Grace was born with Spina Bifita and has never been able to feel or control past her hips. We have been privileged to have been a part of her weekly routine since she started riding with us soon after we opened in 2010. We have watched her grow into a thoughtful and kind young woman who loves to challenge herself in her riding, often requesting we set up jumps or the barrels to help her improve her skills.

Grace is a competitive gal. At a community horse show, a couple of her fellow competitors happen to see us lift her into the bed of a truck to mount her on her horse before she rode away. As she left the show arena, they made sure to congratulate her on her terrific ride. Once she’s on her horse you can’t tell she’s any different from any other horse-crazy girl.

Here at Summit Equestrian our riders aren’t just clients, they become part of the family. Grace is a terrific ambassador for how much horses can impact your wellbeing and give you more reason to keep on keeping on. She has grown from shy middle schooler to a college student that has gotten involved in every sporting opportunity available to her – including scuba diving with sharks! We’re grateful to be a part of her journey and can’t wait to see what she gets into next.