Activities at our Retirement Living Facilities

A month or so ago, I brought this idea to my Recreation Team at The Waterford—I wanted to take our seniors horseback riding.

Did they think I was crazy? Maybe a little.

Did I think it was going to fly with our residents? Absolutely no idea.

Regardless, I wanted to give it a shot in the hopes that our residents might be up for a bus trip that was something out of the ordinary. Out went the sign-up sheet, and we waited for the names to come in.

Somewhat of a shock to me, we had more than 10 residents sign up, almost all of which were interested in riding a horse! The trip was a go, and I was so excited.

On Wednesday April 12th, we loaded up the bus and headed out to Langley to visit Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities (PRDA)—a horseback riding center designed mostly for children or young adults with special needs, physical or cognitive. They are equipped with specialty equipment designed for those with reduced muscle control, which was a perfect fit for our seniors.

In total, we had 10 riders. We took a tour of the facilities, met with many of their horses, and participated in some equestrian training in their indoor arena. Some of our riders has NEVER been on a horse before—no time like your 90’s to give it a try, right?

Afterwards, we had a special surprise—one of the staff members brought in her 4-week-old baby lamb named Frosty. He was tiny, squirmy, fluffy, and Mary took a special liking to him. We also got to see 3 of their mini horses (Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Linus) run around like crazed puppies in the arena—they were hilarious!

An amazingly unique trip, one that they haven’t stopped talking about all week long. I’m so proud of our brave seniors here at The Waterford putting their trust in me and the PRDA staff, challenging themselves to always try new things.

After this experience, I would have to say that anyone, at any age, can learn and challenge themselves.