June 2023: Leslie Hunter
Leslie Hunter
This month we celebrate Leslie Hunter, our June Volunteer of the Month. It seems that from the moment Leslie set foot in the barn at Little Creek she has given her time and talents in so many places that make a difference. Her smiling face is always welcoming to humans as well as the horses.
Back in the summer of 2019 Leslie was hanging out by the fence outside the gelding pasture, admiring the horses. A very friendly woman came over to say hello. They had a great talk about how she could volunteer, with a special focus on Stride Ahead. When the barn opened up after COVID calmed down, Leslie made a visit to the barn and was hooked. It will come as no surprise that the friendly woman who talked to her about volunteering was none other than our founder, Anne Preston. Thank you Anne!
Leslie says the best part of volunteering is getting to know the volunteers, riders (and their families) and seeing how Stride Ahead’s equine therapy provides fun for riders. In her interactions with parents she sees them experience happiness and pride in their children who often face challenges and frustrations. Plus, getting to know our amazing instructors is icing on the cake. She has shared with some of us that Stride Ahead always makes her feel appreciated. As she says, it’s probably as much therapy for her as it is for the riders.
When asked about some memorable experiences with Stride Ahead, Leslie told us about two very different riders who absolutely LOVE Cupid. Each rider looks after Cupid as if she were their own horse. One loves to hold on to the lead line, never taking his eyes off Cupid until they reach the ramp. This rider doesn’t say much but the love is there. The other rider, almost totally independent and quite chatty, loves to pull leaves off the trees for Cupid’s treat at the end of the lesson.
When Leslie decided to retire after 30 years at Emory she wanted to be fulfilled and make a valuable contribution. Having no children, other than her beloved bunny, Holly, she hopes to leave some sort of legacy. She sees Little Creek providing countless ways for her to do that. Not only does she volunteer with Stride Ahead, she takes riding lessons with Brad, produces The Little Creek Times newsletter, is writing a book about Sprinkles (a miniature therapy horse at Little Creek), and works with Hands on Horses, a program for the community sponsored by the Little Creek Conservancy. The list is long and these are, as Leslie says, pieces of life she is now creating and hoping the best is yet to come.
We are grateful Leslie is a part of Stride Ahead’s volunteer force and excited about the future with Leslie being such an integral part of Little Creek barn!
Thank you, Leslie!
If you would like to make a donation in honor of Leslie and all of our wonderful volunteers who make Stride happen, thank you.
