Perks Family Equine Center – Hope and Healing with Horses

GiGi’s Playhouse Rockford had the amazing opportunity to take a trip to the new Perks Family Equine Center! Among the variety of activities that Lockwood Park offers, the equine-assisted learning and therapy that they can provide at the new facility is going to be a game changer from an intervention standpoint.

We toured the center which was built with lead gifts from the Perks Family Foundation and The Blazer Foundation, as well as support from the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and the Rockford Park District. The Equine Center includes indoor and outdoor arenas, custom built stables, classrooms, breakout rooms, volunteer spaces, and so much more.

Within all of this, one thing was very prominent – every space was created with inclusivity and accommodations in mind. The floor of the wash area for horses was made wheelchair accessible, with low shelving so those in a wheelchair or children can reach tools to wash and brush horses. There are low windows in the arenas so people can watch from a distance if they are not quite ready to be close to a horse. Each classroom has windows to the arenas, so lessons can be taught while seeing the activities in real-time – but they also have blinds in case seeing the horses becomes distracting. There are quiet and calming spaces to accommodate overstimulation or difficulties that might surface while in equine-assisted therapy. These are just some examples of how much thought and effort was put into this equine center to make their mission come to life.

Hearing Jen, the manager of the Equine Center, tell stories about her interactions and connections with horses, and guiding that connection to the people that need it most, was heartwarming. The underlying message was very clear – meet people where they are. If a child is afraid of horses, first play in the sand outside the arena. Then play in the sand inside the arena. Then see a horse from a distance. Just work at their pace, and meet them wherever they are, without judgement. That is the biggest commonality between Perks Family Equine Center and GiGi’s Playhouse – we meet individuals with Down syndrome wherever they are, without judgement.

Just stepping foot into the equine center, you could feel the serenity in the space. We immediately recognized the dedication and passion of the staff because we feel the same about our work at GiGi’s Playhouse. Just as we believe in what we do, they believe in what they do — and we know that what they do is going to make life-changing differences for so many people in our community… Hope and Healing with Horses… Incredible!