In the years that followed, Jacobson continued to volunteer and is now the Equestrian Volunteer Coordinator for Eagle Mount Bozeman Therapeutic Recreation Center. As soon as Jacobson got word that she won the scholarship, she enrolled in the workshop that will enable her to complete her PATH Instructor Certification Training.

"It is amazing how just one day has led me to a lifetime of serving people with horses; this is my passion! I absolutely cannot imagine what my life would look like without these volunteer experiences. They have shaped how I view horses and allowed me to put aside my initial self-focused relationship with my own horses. I see now how my love for horses can be shared with others and how their interactions with horses can change their lives forever."

"I fell in love with horses at a young age. I read every book with a horse in it that I could find, crying my way through Black Beauty and imagining myself as a member of the Saddle Club."

Hoffman said her personal experiences with horses helped her break out of her shell and be more confident, but it was the therapy horses at Greenlock that have taught her how to interact with animals and humans. She learned from Toby, one of the therapy horses, who knows what pace to walk at for each rider, that everybody, has a pace at which they are comfortable.

After years of riding, Hoffman had the opportunity to rescue an incredible mare, Lizzie. "Lizzie, along with the horses I work with at Greenlock have enriched my life every day."

"I see families beam with love because a child who will not speak to people, finally talks to a pony. I watch disabled veterans gaze into the eye of a horse, communicating on a silent wavelength, while healing pain I cannot begin to imagine. I have learned to see people through the eyes of a horse, by looking for abilities rather than dis-abilities in myself and in others."

"I am continuously amazed with the behavior of horses who become kinder and gentler in the presence of people receiving therapy. Horses, who offer a snarly attitude when I buckle their blanket, will be quiet, calm and nuzzle a child who cannot use his legs. A horse, who is frisky in the paddock, will take extra slow steps when a woman who cannot use her arms rides on his back. A horse, who dislikes extra grooming, will lower his head so an autistic child can excessively rub his forelock. The compassion I see in therapy horses is not something that has been taught. It is a spontaneous, organic behavior within each horse, as if these horses know how to help people heal."

It has become Masters' life goal to become a veterinarian, specializing in equine ophthalmology. "I am grateful for the horses in my life, and while I am sure I will never be Beezie Madden, I am certain I will be Taylor Masters, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine."

Not only did volunteering at Special Equestrians fill a void in her life, it also also influenced her future and she is certain that she wants to become a large animal veterinarian. Volunteering taught her about the true beauty of horses. "I've learned so many things about the human spirit and a horse's healing power. They offer such an invaluable therapy to everyone, especially disabled children. I love how horses help these children to become more social with other people and more comfortable with new activities or people. I love how horses help physically disabled children become more physically able in their daily lives. And I love how horses have given me the opportunity to learn about children with autism and help them to grow.

Scinto volunteered every Wednesday for three hours and every Saturday morning for four hours as a horse leader and side walker in the equine classes for young children. A horse leader grooms, tacks, and warms up the horse before the class begins. The horse leader guides the horse around the arena during the class, while keeping the safety of the horse and rider in mind. A side walker assists the child in performing a variety of activities that deal with basic riding skills which enables cognitive and social skill development. In September of 2013, she was promoted to Barn Captain and now oversees the other horse leader volunteers and any barn activities

"I have seen firsthand the profound impact horses have on the lives of people, whether able or disabled, from a simple smile to making bridges in the mind that were not previously there," said Scinto. "One child who is severely limited in his verbal communications now uses two verbal commands as a result of this program. Another child, after a couple months in the program, went from not being able to hold the two-point position for ten seconds to being able to hold it for two whole laps around the ring. Seeing these children succeed and improve motivates me to keep doing all I can to improve the lives of others, especially those who have disabilities." Scinto's life-long passion is to continue making a positive impact with horses.

"Everyone is known for something in high school, such as 'the pretty one, the class clown, the troublemaker, the geek'. I was known as 'that horse girl'. Volunteering at New England Equine Rescue - North Inc. (NEER) opened my eyes to all kinds of abuse, neglect, and ignorance towards innocent animals."

The most heart wrenching experience while at NEER North was the rescue of Eagle, an 18 year old OTTB, who was found tied to a post with no food or water. Eagle was just skin and bones with rain rot, painful, almost crippling "scratches" and a fungal infection, on his legs. His pasterns were so red and irritated that they were oozing and bleeding. "We gave him some decent hay and water and let him settle in for a day or so and then we got to work on cleaning and disinfecting his wounds every day. The fur never grew back on his pasterns but he was no longer in pain." After a month or so, Eagle had gained enough weight to be able to put tack on him, using a bitless bridle to protect his mouth.

"I had such a feeling of satisfaction and pride when I climbed on this gentle giant. A month before this horse could barely walk comfortably and now here he was, happy as a clam and letting me ride him around the ring." Everything came full circle for Siebols at that moment and she knew that she couldn't imagine her life without horses.

"She helps teach new people how to groom and care for our horses, how things are done before, during, and after regular sessions. Her knowledge of horses helps keeps the horses well behaved and safe for our riders and programs," said Dr. Marilyn K. Peterson of Parkwood.

"When Elizabeth is at the barn, life gets better for the instructors because of the quality of her work ethic and high standards and passion for doing the work well. Life gets better for the students because of her attention to the nuances of what each individual student needs to reach their goals. Life gets better for the horses because Elizabeth is clearly devoted to their well-being," said Ann Preston of Stride Ahead.

"Willet is on her way to becoming a PATH Certified instructor. It is our privilege of having her do her practice teaching hours with our students." Willet endeavors to give every client a joyful greeting and a smile. "I want them to know how happy I am to see them, and that I'm looking forward to helping them to achieve their goals."

Volunteering has proven to Cashman that hard work pays off in the end, whether through just getting to see it all come together, or by opening doors to my future. "I hope that my experiences in the past and future help me to make a difference in the industry that I love so much and to be able to give back to the next generations, as generations before me have done."

In high school, she took on took on younger students as a mentor and helped to pass on the knowledge she had learned. But, just before her junior year of high school, she became the victim of harsh teenage bullying.

She learned later on from her volunteer experience that horses offered the children she worked with an escape from their harsh reality and their problems, as it did for her, and that horses healed them, as she had been healed. Garrett plans to obtain her PATH certification and use her college degree to open an Equine Assisted Therapy Center. She learned the power of equine healing through her volunteer experience, and wants to use her education to rehabilitate rescue horses and re-train them as therapy horses for people with special needs.

Austin devoted her required Senior Project to how the horses and volunteers are trained – so impressed with how these horses can be so desensitized to actions like noise and rapid movements but also so sensitive to fragility of their riders and to their riders' special needs. "Before I started volunteering, I had a strong appreciation for horses and what they do for the mind, body and soul. After volunteering, I gained a new level of that same appreciation." She learned how much horses impacted the lives of the children with special needs. These special children don't give up despite their disabilities – and horses help them.

For all of the differences between the Lovelane students and James, James learned that there are a million more ways in which they are similar. Knowing that she could and did make even a small difference in the lives of the Lovelane students, who have more obstacles to overcome than many of us can comprehend and knowing that the horses are making a huge difference in helping the students become physically and cognitively stronger, taught her to appreciate what she has, and understand a little better why giving back to the community is so important.

"I love being a part of this program because it's a way for me to channel my passion into a meaningful act of community service. . I cannot imagine what my life would be like without horses and I know that I would not be the person I am today."

"Brianna's willing heart for service is contagious to other volunteers and she is always open to teaching or helping those who may need an extra hand," said Denise Wright of Tri-State. She mentors many of the riders. She is very active in their lives both inside and outside of the program." Lineberry even accompanied one of the therapeutic riders to a special needs prom last year.

"Each time I go to Tri-State, I learn something new. I hope that one day I will get certified to be an instructor – and also a coach for an equestrian team. No matter what happens I hope I will always be there to volunteer."

Weiss has logged over a 1,000 service hours since she began volunteering in 7th grade when she visited Personal Ponies, a program where her autistic brother interacted with miniature horses. Seeing the impact on her brother encouraged her to volunteer by going on outings with the ponies to child care facilities and nursing homes.

Weiss discovered the South Florida SPCA large animal rescue through her 4-H Club. It was a rude awakening for Weiss on the cruelties that many animals suffer, but she channeled the shock by helping to recuperate the innocent, gentle frightened horses, cows, and other farm animals that seemed to always be coming in. Weiss helped rehabilitate an ex-police horse and after watching him gain 500 lbs, her family became his foster home until a permanent home could be found for him.

Weiss started volunteering for Equine Assisted Therapies of South Florida (formerly Horses and the Handicapped) as a summer camp counselor, then continued volunteering in the fall as a horse handler each week. Samantha a 4th grader, who, despite her disabilities, flourished because of her interaction with horses, was just one example why Weiss said, "Volunteering with horses is something I hope to always be able to do no matter where my life takes me. I learned that anyone who has the passion can make a difference."