SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Stallions
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Classifieds
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
1
Friday, January 15 2021 / Published in Sidelines Feature

The Armed Forces Equestrian Center: Changing Lives Outside the Box

By Britney Grover

To say that the Armed Forces Equestrian Center is an equine-assisted therapy program would be selling it short. It would be closer to say the Armed Forces Equestrian Center (AFEC) serves veterans, service members, military spouses and military children — however they need to be served.

Therapy comes in many different forms at AFEC. Located in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, AFEC offers everything from basic lessons to groundwork-assisted emotional and physical therapy. All the while, AFEC creates a sense of community and purpose for all who participate.

“It’s really just based on what the individual needs and wants, and sometimes it’s not clear,” said Kayla Lopez, chairman of the board. “They know there’s something extra needed, but maybe they’re not comfortable asking for it or don’t even know what they need. Maybe they just want to say, ‘Hey, I’m here to enjoy the animals.’ We can work with their needs to help with whatever challenges they’re having.”

It’s a life-changing idea, and it came from Kayla’s then-7-year-old daughter.

The Power of Horses

Kayla was introduced to horses through her Navy veteran uncle. He had horses — at his water park in Puerto Rico. “We thought he was insane — who opens a water park on an island?” Kayla laughed. “But he had horses there, so I would spend every summer with my mean old Navy uncle. He was fabulous — he wasn’t mean at all, but that’s what everybody thought.”

Kayla spent her summers mucking stalls and caring for the horses, and a passion began to grow from there. In high school and college she gave up riding, but not for long. “Then I had my daughter, Anabell, and she came out neighing,” Kayla said. “I said, ‘Alright, I guess we’re getting another horse!’”

Having grown up in a military family and in her full-time job helping companies in corporate America develop military and veteran programs, Kayla was familiar with some of the challenges that service members and their families face. She also saw similarities to her daughter’s situation. “Her dad is not around at all, and it’s kind of like having that one parent who’s always on deployment or always on orders and just never there,” Kayla shared. “Horses really, really changed Anabell. They built up her confidence and gave her responsibility. It’s a different kind of love, and it really opened her up.”

Soon, Anabell and Kayla had three horses. They shared not only their equine journey, but the joy of serving others. Each year, Anabell joins Kayla volunteering for various events. In 2016, Kayla was on the board for the Mutt Strutt, a large event raising money for service dogs. Anabell was 7 years old, and she was helping Kayla with the charity auction when she turned to her mom and said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could do something like this with the horses?”

“I said, ‘Honey, I don’t know how many people would want us to give them a horse,’” Kayla laughed. But that wasn’t what Anabell had in mind. “We had three horses and a friend had two, so we said, ‘You know what? We do have a little herd and we could — we should! — share it.’”

An Idea Brought to Life

The planning for the Armed Forces Equestrian Center took two years, including going through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International program. But in December 2018, they became an official 501(c)(3) charity. And Anabell, now 10, is still involved 100%.

“She helps out with lessons, she’s our chief safety walker — she teaches all the volunteers about walking the horses and being an assist during lessons,” Kayla said. “She even helps out with some of the activities.”

Anabell formed a unique bond with one participant, an 82-year-old military spouse whose WWII veteran husband recently passed. “She fell afterwards and wasn’t in a good place health-wise,” Kayla said. “We started doing some physical therapy work with her in addition to just trying to create that sense of community again and helping her through the grieving process.”

One of the physical therapy exercises involves tossing a ball back and forth to a person on the ground while riding at a smooth trot, to help with balance. Anabell is usually the one tossing, catching and picking up the ball. “She’s totally involved, super active and she loves it,” Kayla said.

Some of the “therapies” at AFEC include simply being part of something. Billy is a veteran who served six active tours in Falluja and copes with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. He’s done groundwork and been on trail rides — he loves the horses, but he finds even greater enjoyment in giving back. One morning, Kayla arrived to find Billy hammering something in a stall. When she asked what he was doing, he simply replied, “It needed to be fixed, so I fixed it.”

“The barn has given him something I think is hard to wrap your head around or explain,” Kayla said. “He comes in and enjoys the animals, and enjoys having a purpose. He wants to help. It gives him that sense of accomplishment and pride in his work because he’s doing it for an animal he loves, and because he gets to give back to those who are also enjoying the animals and sharing in the community.”

Reaching Out

Kayla and Anabell now own eight horses at AFEC, and there are another three available from the barn. Some of those are minis — minis used to spread awareness of both equine therapy and the program, such as in visits to Duquesne University, V.A. events, nursing homes, charity events and more.

Though AFEC wouldn’t be able to function without its strong group of volunteers and supporters, Kayla continues to provide most of the day-to-day financial backing herself — as a single mom with a full-time job. “It is worth it, every, every, every ounce of it,” Kayla said passionately. “But in order for us to grow, we need some help.”

The center is currently in need of an adaptive mounting ramp to accommodate participants with physical disabilities, a new truck and trailer, and a round pen. Donations can be made on their website, or by purchasing from their online store. In the meantime, Kayla and the AFEC community are staying focused on finding and filling needs.

“I think that’s what it’s about,” Kayla said. “It’s hard to say that our program does one specific thing, other than try to bring the community together and improve lives. To put us in a box, to say we only do equine-assisted therapy — no, that’s not all we do, because if someone wants to compete and ride, guess what? There’s a show five minutes down the road. It’s not an A-rated show, but it’ll be fun!”

Kayla and Anabell have already proven they know how to think outside the box — and that no box can contain their efforts to improve the lives of those around them. “It’s all about bringing the community together, putting smiles on faces and helping to overcome barriers,” Kayla concluded, “no matter what it takes.”

For more information, visit rideAFEC.org

Photos courtesy of Kayla Lopez

Double D Trailers Info

Tagged under: armed forces equestrian center, equine-assisted therapy

What you can read next

Eric Dierks: Faith Through Fire
Breeding Welsh Ponies at Fox Run Farm
One in a Million: Show Jumper Rich Fellers Shares His London Experience and Dishes on Flexible’s Staying Power

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
❗️George Williams column❗️ The FEI World ❗️George Williams column❗️
The FEI World Cup Final in Omaha is coming up quickly. That means that it’s starting to heat 
up as the end of the qualifying period for both the Western European League (WEL) and the 
North American League (NAL) nears. I started to write this column before the Amsterdam CDI- W, and I was using the FEI Ranking List from January 15 as a reference. As I sit down to finish 
my column, I’m now looking at the results from Amsterdam. While the list of the top contenders 
for the WEL hasn’t changed, they’re definitely moving around on the ranking list. The WEL has 
three more legs, as they’re referred to: Neumünster February 16–19, Goteborg February 23–26, 
and ’s-Hertogenbosch March 9–12, and they could change things dramatically.
Looking at the top 12 athletes from the WEL as they were ranked on January 15, there are five 
from Germany, three from the Netherlands and one each from Great Britain, Denmark

➡️Read Georges's full column by clicking the link in our bio, and never miss an article by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine 🦄 

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #horselover #instahorse #love #cheval #showjumping #horselife #photography #nature #pferde #horseofinstagram #caballo #riding #horsebackriding #pferdeliebe #caballos #horsepower #horsephotography #instagram #Sidelinesmagazine
Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Ivaro N strike gold in Gre Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Ivaro N strike gold in Great American $300,000 Grand Prix at HITS Ocala!! 🏆🥇

Crowds filled the stands at the HITS Ocala Grand Prix Ring on Sunday afternoon to watch the world’s top athletes compete in the Great American $300,000 Grand Prix. The day concluded with a thrilling five-horse jump-off featuring athletes 
representing four countries. In the end, it was Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA) and Ivaro N who produced the only double clear effort of the day, claiming one of the biggest wins of her career. Scott Keach (AUS) and Noble De La Chapelle earned the second-place prize with the fastest 4-fault jump-off, while Aaron Vale (USA) and Obi Wan placed third as the day’s pathfinders.

“I'm still on cloud nine, I still can't believe it – I’ve used up all my luck for the year,” smiled Goldman-Smolen after her win. “I've been knocking on the door a long time in these bigger classes. I am so proud of my horse – he gave every ounce of effort.”

Sunday’s Great American $300,000 Grand Prix marked the conclusion of the 2023 HITS Ocala circuit. HITS CCO Joe Norick concluded, “We are so excited about the new HITS, with 2023 as the launch. New footing, many new arenas here, and a lot of our facilities across America are getting a lot of love and new footing. Our partnerships with Worldly Martin and others across America including our footing leader Bart Poles overseeing our operations – it really makes a big difference for us. Today is about Ocala and these three riders sitting next to me who supported us this entire winter. We want to be a proud destination for our exhibitors and our friends. We know we have to provide them a beautiful showplace to work from that's horseman friendly, and that's our go goal. 

Congratulations to all of the riders, horses, owners, and groom who participated in this prestigious class!!! 🎉
📸 @esi_photography 
#horseshow #horses #horse #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #horselove #horsestagram #instagram #showjumping #equestrianlife #equine  #horsebackriding #dressage #horselife #pony #of #horserider #horseshoe #horsemanship #horseshowlife #riding #instahorse #horseaddict #horseofinstagram #sidelinesmagazine
It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

 ✨PF'S DIAMO BLUE✨
Diarado-Diamant de Semilly- Chacco Blue
17.0hh, Oldenburg International Hunter Derby/ Jumper Stallion
An outstanding Pedigree- Chacco Blue and Diamant de Semilly
WBFSH/ Rolex top ranking Jumping Sires 2017 thru 2022
Standing at Ryan Pedigo Sport Horses, in California

For more information, you can contact 
🖥Ryanpedigosporthorses.com
🖥Ryan.p.f@hotmail.com
☎️(714) 357-2714

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

@ryanpedigosporthorsespf_

#stallion #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #equine #dressage #pferd #equestrianlife #mare #hengst #horseriding #instahorse #cheval #pferde #equinephotography #horselove #dressagehorse #pony #horselover #caballo #foal #quarterhorse #aqha #arabianhorse #sidelinesmagazine
Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
📸Photo by Sheryl Sutherby

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #horselover #instahorse #love #cheval #showjumping #horselife #photography #nature #pferde #horseofinstagram #caballo #riding #horsebackriding #pferdeliebe #caballos #horsepower #horsephotography #instagram #Sidelinesmagazine
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • EQUINE DIVINE
    Clothing, Gifts & Sporting Art 803-642-9772 www.equinedivineonline.com

    [Read more]

  • Oldenburg Stallion- Rubinero
    Rubinero (Rubinstein xEx Libris) 1999 Oldenburg, 16.3H, Stud Fee: $1,300 1-Year or $675/dose. A proven FEI competitor with both amateur and professional riders. Rubinero offspring are winning from the young horse classes through the FEI Levels and consistently show their sire’s outstanding character. Approved AHS, GOV,

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • Get More for Your Money with an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
  • Longines Global Champions Tour of New York Returns to Governors Island
  • A Paris Horse Adventure: Saut Hermes 2022

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • 2023 Upperville Colt & Horse Show Presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™ Returns for 170th Year on June 5-11
  • Will Coleman Retains Yanmar America CCI4*-S Lead in Dramatic Show Jumping at Setters’ Run Farm Carolina International
  • First edition of the World Sport Horse Sales was a hit with $410.000 for the most expensive horse

Category

Recent Posts

  • April 2023 – Table of Contents

    Subscribe for just $9.95 or Order Individual Is...
  • Building a Bond With a New Horse

    By Margie Sugarman I just bought a new horse. I...
  • Developing Healthy Relationships With Your Barnmates

    By Rob Jacobs The purpose of this month’s colum...
  • The Value of Self-Coaching

    By Liz Halliday-Sharp The sport of eventing is ...
  • Unbridled With Annette Longenecker

    By Britney Grover  Annette Longenecker wasn’t j...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!