Our Featured Volunteer of the Month is Alysen Dockeray
Our Featured Volunteer of the Month is Alysen Dockeray
Alysen is a new addition to the Lancer community, joining us as a parent member last August when she moved back to Halifax from France with her family, and her daughter, Alex, began lessons as a junior member. Alysen has been an active member of Lancers, stepping into a volunteer role almost immediately after joining us. Her and her family were a great help at our annual August clean-up where they learned the ropes of what it means to be a Lancer. “The week we arrived back in Halifax, the horses were all on vacation and it was the big barn clean-up. Our entire family became involved with the clean-up and learned first-hand about the Lancers routines and barn maintenance through sweeping, shavings deliveries and other helpful volunteers who gave us the run-down of life at the Lancers!”
In September, Alysen joined our Therapeutic Riding Program as a volunteer. “Volunteering at the Lancers is especially rewarding for me as not only do I get to help out with a great community organization, but I selfishly get to spend time with the horses. There is something so calming and therapeutic about being around these amazing creatures that I feel so lucky to be able to donate my time to something that brings me so much pleasure. I have also learned so much about overcoming challenges through persistence and have witnessed so much courage by watching the riders in the Therapeutic program. Being able to work alongside these amazing people and these incredible animals is a truly rewarding and inspirational experience.”
Although Alysen is new to Lancers she has already gotten to know our horses well enough to choose a couple favourites. “I’m very partial to Inga and Bud, as those are the two horses I worked with the most during the Therapeutic riding lessons. To see the soft side of these giant creatures when dealing with their riders was truly incredible. Despite Inga’s sometimes cheeky personality and Bud’s enormous size, they truly amazed me with their intuition and ability to change their behaviours based on who was riding them.”
Alysen is grateful to have become part of the Lancer community and feels right at home already. “Lancers in not just a community, but a family. Moving to a new place always has its challenges but being warmly welcomed into the Lancer environment made the adjustment so much easier for my daughter, and as a result, for our family. Having a place to go to where you were accepted from day one without judgement was refreshing and made the transition to a new town far less intimidating. Being able to give back to the Lancer community is my way of saying “thank you” for being so accepting and kind. The amazing work done at the Lancers with the Therapeutic Riding program is so important and has a huge impact on the lives of the riders participating in the program. I get to give back by volunteering with this program and working with the participants to achieve their goals, all within a happy, non-judgemental atmosphere and with horses. I’ve also improved my horse knowledge and ability to tack up!”
