Ivey Ranch Internship

everyone omits Regan Smith.

I'm going to be talking about my internship at Ivy

Ranch. Ivy Ranch is a repeat, of course, speculating facility

in Ocean Side.

It is a nonprofit on, and it's geared towards clients

with both physical, mental, emotional and behavioral challenges.

Um, there people horseback riding, which can also be known

as hypnotherapy um, can help with many different things.

Such a strength, coordination balance, emotional states and personal mobility.

Um, clients, a range from all different diagnosis is such

as a D H D autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy,

PTSD and even clients with, um, who are paralyzed.

Clients seek out hippo therapy for a variety of different

reasons. It could be specifically to gain strength and coordination.

It could be to build a relationship, or only because

it's just the only available option for them that is

geared directly towards them for some type of physical activity.

Um, I ve Ranch currently has 175 clients.

This changes clients can either graduate the program or they're

just constantly getting new clients, so that number often changes.

But as of now, they have 175 um, so for

the process of becoming a volunteer.

It's actually extremely easy.

I had absolutely no difficulty.

I got accepted immediately.

Um, and all that they require is for you to

fill out an online form which is basically just talking

about you directly about why you want to join Ivy

Ranch and a little just about about you so they

could understand you on.

And then you have to show up to a two

hour long orientation at the ranch.

This isn't on one on one orientation.

This is an all new volunteer orientation.

So what?

I showed up there was about 30 other people.

Um, so it wasn't very direct.

And what their purpose for therapy course Pocket Iwas.

Basically, all that they, um, talked about was the safety

rules on the ranch and the different tasks that you

might be in charge of.

And that was all.

They didn't go over instructions or any education in regards

to the clients that they served.

Um, so this was very strange for me.

Luckily, I have a background in working with behaviours and

people with disabilities and horses, so I wasn't expecting the

information for myself, but more so for the volunteers that

were there to help out, Um, they allow volunteers of

all ages to help out.

The older you are, the more likely you are to

help out with the clients and the lessons.

If you're not old enough, I think it's like 18.

You have to be, um, helping with the lessons if

you're under that age than your most likely just gonna

be working and cleaning up the stables.

Um, for the staff, however, they're all certified hippo therapy

trainers. They go through an organization called Path Path is

specifically to certify therapeutic horseback riding instructors.

So the stop is trained.

Um, and hopefully the hair experienced and behavior, if not

passed, teaches them a little bit about that.

But I'll get into that a little bit leader.

Um, my last thing for my staff and volunteers, interactions

with everyone seemed to be pretty positive.

It seemed as though most of them loved being Ivy

Ranch on the either had a passion for horses, the

clients or both.

So that was a plus.

I'm never anyone who seemed unhappy by the organization, so,

like I said, everyone was pretty positive about being there.

So we move on to my findings.

So I'm gonna give a little story.

Um, well, a little.

I'm gonna give a story about something that really stuck

out to me while I was there.

So, um, at my time, I ve Things became pretty

clear immediately in regards to what I might find well,

and turning there the first day I was there to

start my hours.

There was a little boy with autism who was about

8 to 10 years old, and he was about to

begin his lesson.

The staff kept verbally preparing the young boy for his

amount on the Horace by saying, When you get on

the horse, you can't hit him.

The young boy acknowledged the staff and promised that he

wouldn't have horse.

However, the second he got on the horse, he began

to hit.

The staff immediately yanked.

The boy often scolded him for hitting him.

He then repeatedly apologized and promised that he wouldn't do

it again.

So they gave him a second chance for to start

his lesson.

Once they placed him on the horse, he hit again.

So the staffing time off for the second time, and

they told him his lesson was canceled The boy was

visibly upset.

Um, he was crying and yelling, and he clearly didn't

want his lesson to be cancelled.

Um, so the reason why this specific examples stuck out

to me is because the staff was studying the boy

up for failure.

Um, they were telling him what not to do based

on his previous actions from other lessons before he had

even gone on the horse.

So the young boy was seeking attention.

And every time he hit the horse, he was reinforced

with the intention by the staff by them Yankee him

off and them repeatedly telling him what not to dio

Reinforcement can be either positive or negative.

In this case, it was negative reinforcement, but it was

reinforcement that the boy was searching for, um So instead

of the staff keeping um, him off the horse and

canceling his lesson lessons, there wasn't many things that they

could have done.

For example, they could have kept his hands busy, so

they weren't eso.

He wasn't hitting Horace, such as holding his hands or

giving him something to touch her squeeze.

If it was a sensory need, and they could have

redirected him with something rather than reminding him not to

hit the horse.

That's kind of like telling him what to do in

a way, because that's all he's focusing on, where it

said they were to redirect his focus and may have

made him forget about hitting the horse.

Um, or they could have just reinforced him in other

ways. I positive reinforcement rather than negative reinforcement.

However, they didn't do any of this.

They just took him off the horse.

Reminded him what not to do, put him back on.

Hoped it would change an independent.

Unfortunately, this example happened three weeks in a row.

Um, every time I was Ivy Ranch and he was

there, he never had a lesson.

So this was this was really disheartening to see because

a little boy just wasn't really given a chance.

I have a behavior background and applied behavior analysis therapy.

I've done that for years for Children, specifically with autism.

Um, and I was told when coming to Ivy Ranch

that the staff was trained in a be a short

for the analysis behavior, applied behavior analysis.

Um, when seeing this on my first day, this told

me that they were either not trained, properly trained or

that they weren't putting their training into action because anyone

who's trained in a B A would not have handled

that situation like that.

When looking at this example through a sociological lens, it

shows me that the staff immediately saw the worst in

the little boy and decided to view him as deviant

and Onley expected him to have deviant behaviors.

This is something many individual individuals with behavioral challenges face,

which is being seen his dbn.

They expected the worst in him, and that's what they

got. So they didn't They didn't expect him to succeed.

They expected him to fail, and that's what he did.

Um, there was different treatment happening between the clients as

well. But stuff there were clients that the staff was

visit visibly excited about.

And then there were clients to stock, was visibly disappointed

to see um, as an observer, this was something that

became very obvious and quite upsetting.

There were times multiple clients would be there, and one

client would get all the attention on dhe.

The other clients that were there would get done.

Um, that was really sad, as there would be one

client where all the staff was around them and the

other clients that weren't getting the intention were just by

themselves setting up the horse.

It just kind of waiting around to figure out what

to do next.

Um, another thing that happened that became apparent to me

was that this stuff was talking inappropriate, inappropriate Me about

the clients in front of them.

This happened on numerous occasions.

Um, so I'm gonna give an example, So excuse my

language, but this was verbatim what stockmen were said about

a client.

Um, on a day when we're working with a client,

my staff member called the client a quote unquote little

bitch, and she said this directly to me.

But the client was right behind her, Not far enough

where she would have been able to hear.

So, uh, the client definitely had the opportunity to hear

what she said.

As the staff member didn't whisper it or anything.

She made it pretty apparent what she felt, um, that

same day, that same staff member for a different client

said, This is why I don't have teenage daughters.

And this is in reference to a client having attitude.

Both of these things were set in front of the

clients. And as upsetting as this was to hear, this

is something that happens quite frequently in regards to individuals

with disabilities.

I believe it just comes down to a lack of

education and understanding anyone who has properly educated and disabilities

and behavioral challenges.

They would never say such things, especially in front of

the individual themselves.

So when I go into some challenges, as I kind

of just talked about it about, it's gonna briefly go

over it again.

So hearing the inappropriate talk about the clients with huge

challenge for me, I felt as though I couldn't speak

up. Since I really had no authority, I ve ranch.

I was just to volunteer, um, visibly seen.

The lack of understanding from the stuff was also a

challenge for me because this was their job.

They they were supposed to be trained in this, and

some of the soft summer just wasn't showing that they

should be understanding and patient and willing to provide the

best therapy lesson for all of the clients, not just

some. And unfortunately, that just wasn't always the keys.

It's time to go into my sociological findings.

I've already kind of talked about the inequality from the

clients from the staff.

Um, this was something I saw every day.

I rich, actually, inequality in Syria types individuals of disability.

Faith. A disability space is one of the biggest reasons

why I am.

I have a passion and working with him.

I hope that by my actions both past in future,

it will help change their narrative.

This marginalized group deserves equality and all aspects of life,

and unfortunately, that wasn't always happening.

Ivy Wrench and every sociological finding was how important is

to have a support system.

This was something we looked into in class by watching

the movie freedom writers and by reading the article warning,

Don't get involved.

The article had talked about how it is important to

have a support system and how it can help one

achieve many things.

This was extremely evident.

I've you inch because if the clients didn't have a

support system than they would have never been able to

go to the therapy program at all, they were able

to feel loved, accepted and challenged all in the same

place, and they may not get that in other places.

So because of their support system, they were able to

accomplish their goals at 80 Ranch, another sociological finding was

how important trust in respect are between clientele and the

service provider.

We read the seven attributes of Highly effective programs by

Elizabeth Shore and Trust in Respect with number seven.

In order for the program to run successfully, the clients

have to trust the staff, and the staff has to

show respect to the clients.

Um, the clients have to trust both the volunteers, the

stock and the horses in order to have a successful

lesson. Without that, the lesson would not happen because they

would be scared to continue.

So I'm gonna go into my recommendations.

So a recommendation that I would give would be for

I B wrench to better educate their staff and volunteers

as well as having more intensive trainings.

Shore Road In the seven attributes of highly effective programs

that staffs of successful programs are trained and supported to

provide high quality, responsive service is this was something I

noticed idea.

Wrench laughed in on day one of being there due

to them not treating me in there.

Um, Orientalists.

Luckily for me, though I have a background where I

didn't really need the training.

However, 90% of the volunteers have no experience whatsoever, so

they have to rely on this training in order to

be a successful volunteer Ivy Ranch.

If they provided more training and a better education to

both the volunteers and the staff, then I believe a

lot of the issues I saw would be completely eliminated.

However, despite the negativity is I do believe I ve

wrench is achieving their goals.

They are, in fact, changing people's lives in helping these

individuals. I know I point out a lot of negative,

but there definitely was a lot of positive.

I've your ranch some to conclude this, um so something

that I took away from Ivy ran, Um, was I

truly benefited me.

It taught me how important it is to speak up

for those who can't speak up for themselves.

It taught me how important it is to educate people

so they can understand them.

This marginalized group and overall, it made my heart grow

even bigger for their critic writing.

I have been able to girl from this experience and

I hope to carry what I learned into my future.

My dream is to start my own therapeutic horseback riding

facility one day.

And I hope to take his experience with me so

I can have a successful program.

So, um, here's just a few pictures.

This is Ivy Ranch.

I got these awful Google.

Um, but yeah.

So I hope that, um, with my experience, you guys

were able to learn something and take this with you

from your day to day lives and your experiences with,

um people.

So I appreciate you guys listening.

Thank you so much.

Ivey Ranch Internship

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