Woerth It Hollow

By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Staff Writer

In learning how to help others, you can also help yourself. At Woerth it Hollow, Sara Hodgkiss is sharing her farming background and her love of horses with fellow veterans to help them overcome the stress they still carry from their time in service. Located at 269 Cooper Drive, Kirkwood, Hodgkiss operates the non-profit organization out of the family farm where she grew up. Six horses are the primary staff for the program where veterans and individuals with disabilities can come to learn horse care, riding, animal management, environmental practices and all the factors that go along with farm life. Woerth It Hollow is not a therapeutic riding program, and Hodgkiss makes it clear that she is not a therapist. She is a veteran herself who has experienced the challenges of PTSD and returning to civilian life. She is now using her family farm as a base to operate. “The main focus has always been the veterans,” Hodgkiss said. From time to time the program also includes horses that have issues. While they are learning horsemanship skills, participants are also helping rehabilitate the horses so that they may eventually be re-homed. Classes or volunteer activities are held two to three nights per week. “There’s so much positive going on, I can’t put into words all the great things that are happening,” Hodgkiss said. As students progress, they may begin riding, but Hodgkiss feels that the groundwork done with the horses is more important that time in the saddle. “No one gets to ride right off the bat. They have to put in the work—they have to

Zach Farmer, Director of Operations, Sara Hodgkiss, Founder and Day Iseminger, Board Member. Photo by Jim Coarse, Moonloop Photography

show they can work with the horse on the ground.” Hodgkiss said. “I don’t want to put them on a horse not knowing why the horse is moving.” While most therapeutic riding programs focus on the benefits of riding, at Woerth it Hollow it is the interaction with the animals and learning to work with them that is emphasized. “We work on getting the person comfortable with moving the horse’s feet and being the herd leader,” Hodgkiss explained. “The veterans and the disabled need more groundwork as therapy mentally. They learn how to overcome what fears and challenges they are facing, just to get the horse to move in the direction they want him to move and do it with confidence.” For those who have challenges dealing with people and their own selfconfidence, learning to work with a large animal builds their self-esteem and provides positive emotional support. Working with the animals also helps with relaxation and stress relief. “It’s really amazing to see how far some folks can come in such a short time,” Hodgkiss said. Woerth it Hollow volunteer and board member Day Iseminger has seen the benefits the program has had for her daughter, who is challenged by cerebral palsy. Although she walks with crutches, she now handles the horses with confidence and enthusiasm. “She’s gotten more self-esteem, she walks taller and she’s not afraid,” Iseminger said. Many times, it is the horses that recognize a person’s problems and react accordingly. Hodgkiss is always flexible enough to adapt a day’s instruction to fit the needs of the students. “We go with the flow, there’s no formal lesson plan,” Hodgkiss explained. “We meet the needs of what’s happening at this moment. We’re going to see their problems in their interactions with the horses. We look around and see what the need is and that’s what happens that night.” Hodgkiss is happy with the way the program has progressed since it began in 2015. “I’ve accomplished everything I wanted to do,” she said. “Everything I wanted to achieve has happened and now I’m having so much fun with it.” Programs at Woerth it Hollow depend on the help of volunteers. Anyone interested in volunteer opportunities or program information can follow Woerth it Hollow on Facebook, visit the website at www. woerthithollow.net or call (717) 682-6976.

992 Hickory Hill Rd. Oxford, PA 19363 (610) 932-1113

Hours: M-F 8AM-5PM Saturday by appt.