Post 4 - Midpoint Reflection

The mission of GallopNYC is to improve the lives of children and adults in New York City facing developmental, emotional, social, and physical challenges through the benefits of therapeutic horseback riding. Riders improve the growth of functional and mental abilities through the interaction with horses. The responsibility of my internship isn't unexpected. I was ready to be patient, willing to offer help and spend time with children. What is different from my expectation is the enviroment. I thought I would intern in a big stable or park. The workplace enviroment is totally different from IHSL’s environment obviously. The stable is dusty and smell. Hay and horses poop are everywhere. My mentor and co-workers are volunteers in this organization. They are helpful and friendly. And we respect to each other.

Since my internship is special, we don’t need to dress professional. Everyone is just casual. I don’t actually need to talk a lot, what I need to do is body language. Because we usually play little game with riders, so I don’t know if my communication skills have improved. I already get used to do routine work, like organizing tools, helmets and being a side-walker. The first time I got to the stable, I didn’t like the environment. There is smelly and dirty. My nose has a bit allergy to this place, because it is so dusty. After few days, I started to get used to it. The other challenges is bewaring when I walk around horses. There were two volunteers get hurt so far. So I need to be careful.

My internship schedule is pretty relaxing. I am missing few hours, so I will look for weekend program to see if I will able to make it up. In the rest of five weeks, I hope I could learn to lead a horse, and to be a lead-walker. I think it will be a special skill for me since I had never been around horses. New York City is definitely a big city. It contains diverse culture and organizations. Interning helps me to know more about this city.

We started having classes on Bowling Green since Spring has came.

(This horse named Spin Doctor :) 

Post 3 - Vocabulary

1. Word / Phrase: Whoa 
Meaning: Tells the horse to stop
Context: I heard my supervisor make this sound when she needs the horse to stop movement.


2. Word / Phrase: Walk on
Meaning: Tells the horse to walk
Context: I heard my supervisor say "walk on" when she needs the horse to move. 


3. Word / Phrase: Trot on
Meaning: Tells the horse to run slowly, like jogging.
Context: My supervisor say this word when she wants the rider to sit up and down on the horse.


4. Word / Phrase: Roll
Meaning: Horses need to roll themselves on the ground  before they start to work. 
Context: The first day I went to the stable, I saw horses rolled on the ground, and other volunteers told me that they need to roll for relaxing. 


5. Word / Phrase: mane
Meaning: The hair on horse's neck and back. 
Context: After riders get on the horse, my supervisor usually ask them to name parts of horse's body. So I know some words about horse's body.