Recreational Therapist And Artist: Two Jobs Make It Work

Ask Patti Franz about being a theraputic riding instructor and she visibly lights up. Ask her about her artwork and she enthusiastically spins a tale around each piece. Here is a woman who loves her professional lives, albeit nontraditional ones.

Her heart is so deep into her work she doesn't consider either one of her "jobs" to be a job, but rather a way and choice in life.

If you talked to her, she'd tell you her life isn't anything particularly remarkable, but she would smile and admit one thing happy people can.

"I have it good."

Finding a way to help others

With a purposeful stride and a halter slung over one shoulder, Franz heads out into a muddy pasture. She's catching her volunteer buddy and friend, Daly, a six-year-old Welsh/Morgan horse. He clearly recognizes Franz and moves through the knee-deep mud to greet her.

Soon the barn will be filled with disabled children ready to learn, ride, and spend time with horses. And Franz will orchestrate the entire enterprise, from getting the horses ready, to overseeing the volunteers, to raking up muck and finding delight in a personal success of a disabled child.

Franz is a certified instructor for the We Can Ride program that offers therapeutic horseback riding and cart driving to disabled children and adults. We Can Ride began in 1986 to assist disabled children with equestrian therapy.

Thinking back, Franz knew she wanted to pursue some type of volunteer work because she said she wanted to give something back.

"I want to say 'thank you' for my life," she said.

When she saw the tiny advertisement for We Can Ride in the paper, she said knew right away "this was it": Volunteers, disability with horses. No experience necessary. We'll train you.

Franz signed up with her daughter, Jenni, believing it was something they could do together.

"It's been a life changer for me. We're both amazed, we're getting so much out of it, it's like therapy for us, too" said Franz. "The program has taught me pretty much everything about being around horses."

Becoming an instructor

After spending two years with the We Can Ride as a volunteer, Franz decided to go through the training program to become a teaching assistant. After this, she taught a year with a registered instructor on site but she handled every aspect of the class.

She then decided to take the next step and become a registered instructor.

The North American Riding for the Handicapped (NARHA) offers three levels of certified instruction: Registered, Advanced and Master. Franz completed the Advanced level requirements that include:

• Passing a written examination with a score of at least 92% (Franz scored 98%).

• Complete 25 hours of riding instruction; submit a riding instructor resume, professional reference, and personal reference.

• Complete four essay questions – including describing strength and weaknesses as a therapeutic riding instructor.

• Become certified in CPR and First Aid, which has to be maintained annually.

• Demonstrate riding ability by performing a set pattern.

• Demonstrate ability to teach a class, including lesson plans.

Franz said one of the biggest challenges of being an instructor is developing goals for the riders. In the initial steps of developing these goals she works with a physical therapist to decide the best therapeutic treatment for each individual and identify the best pairing between horse and rider.

One four-year-old rider with cerebral palsy, Brooke Teufte, decides she feels like riding a bit different today, and struggles against her helpers and stretches her body - sideways - across the horse's back. She is like any other typical four-year-old throwing a fit. Her mother looks into the arena and shakes her head.

Her horse, Gunner, acts noncommittal to the small storm on his back. Unconcerned, the gelding marches ahead in an unfettered pace next to his handlers. Stops calmly when asked. Takes it all in stride.

Brooke has been with the program for three years and continues to be challenged with various stages of development. Her personality pairs well with Gunner because the more she struggles the calmer he remains.

This is a typical example of the importance of fitting the correct rider with the correct horse, a responsibility Franz takes very seriously. She is also responsible for training the horses and naturally likes the ones with a quiet and willing disposition. Horses smaller in stature are preferred because it is easier to reach and hold on to the rider. Horses, by nature, can be unpredictable. Franz must be focused and predict unpredictable situations. She relies on her daughter, who is also a volunteer, for a second pair of eyes during class.

In a typical class, Franz oversees five riders with varying disabilities, each assisted by at least two volunteer "handlers" - the "leader" who controls the horse and two "sidewalkers" who walk at either side of the horse and assist the rider.

This year Franz's class size has increased from four to five riders. She teaches two classes so she can serve up to 10 riders. Job satisfaction

"I get so much more than money out of my work with We Can Ride," Franz notes. "It has filled me, given me countless gifts of the heart, and made me a better and more thankful person - I would happily continue my involvement with We Can Ride if there was no paycheck at all."

This program not only exposed Franz to the benefits of teaching but she said it opened her to a world where people enjoy the very best of what she describes, "that animal acceptance and a terrific bonding that occurs between the rider and the horse.

"Horses have to be patient, be willing, have the heart to stand while someone grabs on to their mane, tolerate toys whizzing by their heads, to walk forward with flaying arms and legs," said Franz. "If you ask anyone who has been involved with the We Can Ride program, they'll have a story to tell you about how they have seen this program work and changed someone's life."

Because the motion of the horse is similar to the movement of a person walking, disabled children experience a number of therapeutic benefits, such as increased awareness, improved coordination, and more confidence. The riding helps to strengthen the spine, pelvic muscles and can improve posture. Individuals with cerebral palsy, autism, MS, mental illness, or sufferers from abuse benefit from equine therapy.

Riding a horse gives a different sense of freedom to someone using a wheelchair.

"There is so much therapeutic value in the movement of the horse. Neurons are released, stuff gets an opportunity to work," said Franz.

The pay for being an instructor is low – starting at $10 an hour – but Franz said she didn't get involved for the money.

In addition, to be a registered instructor requires a huge amount of time and emotional commitment. Franz said she is lucky to have a 100% supportive husband. And Franz sells her artwork as an additional supplement to her income.

Also an artist

When Franz isn't working with the We Can Ride program, she works on her art.

"I've really seen the spiritual value in horses. I want to honor horses and I try to accomplish that with my art," she said.

Without any formal training, Franz is primarily a self-taught artisan. She creates hand-made dolls, one-of-a-kind hand made original cards, wooden boxes detailed with handmade tiles, drawings, wall hangings and paintings. Her eclectic collections are different from each other. Some, like her teddy bears, are cute. Some, like her cards, are more reflective. Currently her themes feature, of course, horses.

This spring she ran a booth at the Minnesota Horse Expo selling her collection of hand-printed cards, photographs, lithograph boxes and tiles.

Franz started her artistic endeavor making commissioned cards when she was 21. In addition, she painted baby-shirts in a cartoon style, in her self-descriptive words: I'm just a cartoonist.

Despite her roots in "cartoon" drawing, her first big success was with teddy bears. Her husband gave her a teddy making kit as a gift. The experience opened her up to a new world and Franz quickly became hooked and developed her own patterns. Using mohair which could cost over $100 a yard and German glass for eyes, she created a line of collectible quality bears.

Then came a nice twist of fate.

On a whim she decided to take a trip to Chicago with a friend to visit a trade fair. While walking through the show, she told her friends of her own bear creating forays. Her conversation was overheard by the president of the Effanbee Company, who approached her and asked for pictures of her creations.

He liked what he saw and negotiated licensing four of her designs, with 1,000 of each to be made. This set off a small firestorm of success with the crowning jewel of her bears unveiled at the 2000 Toy Fair in New York.

Today, Franz works more on horses than bears – and more in multi-media than three- dimensional figures. Recently she did the artwork for a trivia board game targeted to the equine lover called, "Whoa Equivia."

Horses serve as an inspiration to Franz.

"What they can do and how they can help others has changed my life," she said.