Susan Schulz

The downtown dad always has the golf cart ready for a ride along Main Street. He loves dinner on a downtown patio, listening to live music and enjoying a little people-watching. A great gift for this dad would be new camp chairs for the upcoming Woodstock Summer Concert Series, or a Downtown Dollars gift certificate, available in the Woodstock Visitors Center and redeemable at dozens of downtown merchants.

The Mariner

This dad loves being on the water, whether it’s bustling Allatoona Lake or meandering Little River. He loves the sight of the sun’s rays shimmering on the water, or the spectacular sunsets at the end of the day. Make his day with a boat rental — you can treat him to an excursion on a ski boat, a pontoon boat, wave runners, or even kayaks and paddleboards. Go to www.visitwoodstockga.com/explore to find companies offering rentals at various locations in the area.

The Thrill-Seeker

While thrill-seekers may not be so common in other towns, Woodstock is full of them. That’s in no small part because of the mountain bike trails at Olde Rope Mill Park. Our trails are beloved by dads who love to challenge themselves, and get those endorphins speeding through the bloodstream as they speed down single-track trails. Consider a gift in dad’s honor to SORBA Woodstock, the group that tirelessly builds and maintains Woodstock’s trails. Go to www.sorbawoodstock.org/ donate for more information.

The Sport

Does your dad love a little friendly competition? Spend a day with him at Dupree Park. You can play a full round of disc golf, challenge dad to a tennis match, shoot some hoops, or score points on him in a game of pickleball. There’s even a stocked pond, if you want to see who can catch the biggest fish. Learn more about this great park at woodstockparksandrec.com.

For more information on the many shops, restaurants and attractions in the Woodstock area, go to www.visitwoodstockga.com.

An outing on Allatoona Lake or disc golf at Dupree Park are several options for Father’s Day activities.

Stacy Brown is the marketing and communications manager for the city of Woodstock. She can be reached at 770-592-6056 or sbrown@woodstockga.gov.

When the Path to Healing is Paved with Hoofprints

BY SUSAN BROWNING SCHULZ

Do you ever wonder about those chance meetings you experience? For Yvette Pegues, such serendipity has been life-changing.

“I fell in love with horses as a child when my best friend introduced me to her horse, Foxy,” said Pegues, a rider at Heaven’s Gait Therapeutic Riding (HGTR). “While I didn’t ride much as an adult, horses remained special to me. Decades later, after suffering a traumatic brain/spinal cord injury, which caused paralysis from the waist down, I was warned never to ride a horse again.”

“Fast forward to when my husband met Kelly Rickard, director of HGTR, at our local DIY store,” Pegues said. “My husband’s curiosity spurred him to spark up a conversation with Kelly. He shared my love of horses with her. I’ve been learning to ride with the team at HGTR on my hoofed friend, Freddie, ever since. I’ve experienced physical, cognitive and emotional improvement both inside and outside of the arena. This experience has truly been heavenly and healing. I thank God for leading us here.”

Divine appointments like this have been happening repeatedly since HGTR’s founding, in 2016. The organization’s mission is to provide emotional, physical and social benefits to children and adults with special needs through the use of horses and equine-assisted activities. Equineassisted activities include the use of therapeutic horseback riding and ground work in order to achieve goals that enhance healing of the mind, body and spirit. There is also a focus on development of the relationship between horse and rider.

HGTR offers instruction through the use of PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) certified instructors. Rickard and her team love to help adults and children on the path to renewed health and vitality.