(gentle music) - [Shelley] Here we are, I hear there's nothing like the nuzzle of a horse.

And you're all about horses and humans, and putting them together.

- Yes.

- What are your stables and your connection?

What are they all about?

- Well, I just love horses.

And it's so funny, because nobody in my family is a horse person.

I did not grow up at a farm.

I just, from little age on, I just knew I wanna have a barn and horses, and I wanna be a riding instructor, and, you know, all that.

I had it when I was six years old.

And then, I just stuck with the horses, and then I made it my profession, and I did.

But pretty much there's hardly anything I didn't do with horses.

- Nice, how about this?

When did this come to be?

- [Karin] The Legacy Stables, the property here, we were able to purchase in 2012.

Since we are here, we really have been starting to thrive and grow.

And this year, in the summer, it's gonna be 12 years.

(gentle mellow music) - What is vaulting?

- Vaulting is gymnastics and dance on a moving horse.

It's a performance sport, and it combines dance, gymnastics, and horses.

The horse is controlled by the person in the middle, that is a horse person and trained to guide the horse around.

And that person is called the lunger, and that one controls the horse.

And then, the kids or adults can go on the horse and do their thing, but the horse is listening to the person in the middle, and that's why it's so safe.

(gentle upbeat music) - You're the star of the show as a vaulter.

And, of course, mom, thanks for, well, having this opportunity available.

Tell me about why get the family involved with Legacy Stables?

- We love the community at Legacy Stables.

The people are great, the environment is fabulous, and I see so much growth in my kids who are here.

Growth in confidence, and also in strength.

- What's it like to ride a horse, especially vault a horse?

What's that even mean?

- It's like doing gymnastics and dance on a horse.

- [Shelley] So how did you get involved with this?

- [Nona] I think when we started riding lessons, our riding instructor let do vaulting every other week.

I'm going to be doing a pair freestyle with my sister on the horse.

- [Shelley] Talk about the horse itself.

What kind of horse makes for a good vaulting horse?

Do they need to be calm?

- [Nona] You want a very calm horse, and usually a larger sized horse so you have more space to move around.

- [Shelley] What does it take for you to do well in vaulting?

- A lot of strength, and you also wanna be very flexible.

- [Shelley] Yes, and again, how important is it to, well, reading, writing, and arithmetic is good, but to get out into a world of horses and animals for your gals?

- I love the horse community.

I love that they have a reason to be outside all year round, so they're in the fresh air, and I think it's really balancing for their bodies and their health.

- Nice, and describe a competition.

Do you get all dressed up?

- Yes, we pick out our unitards.

And then, either you pick a song to music or put songs together to make a song for music.

And then, you do your freestyle to that in front of judges and they'll give you a score.

- Do you always pet the horse after the vaulting for a job well done?

- Yes.

- [Shelley] Thanks, keep up the good work.

- [Heidi] Thank you.

(upbeat music) - [Shelley] And now there's a Karin's Horse Connection that goes with this too.

- [Karin] Yes, Karin's Horse Connection is a non-profit, and we serve the community of any kind of people with special needs, and also the vaulting program is under that non-profit organization.

- Who are you serving and how?

- We want to make an impact here in our community around Caledonia.

Of course, many people know us way beyond even Grand Rapids.

Everybody is welcome here, that's one of our core values.

No matter their age, their ability, or disability, and their level of knowledge, we will pick them up exactly where they are.

We have qualified people, certified people that have experience to work with anyone.

Let it be two years old, the oldest we had was 95, and all ages in between.

And then, also all kinds of special needs.

Everybody can come here.

- Well, we're here with Katie, she's a rider.

She gets the lucky opportunity to bond with a horse.

What do you do when you come to ride?

- I just ride the horse.

I come up here and I lead the horse to the arena.

And then, I get on the horse, and then I just ride around.

Yeah, I've been riding horses for a long time.

I've been riding since I was 3 1/2.

- [Shelley] Wow, what does riding do for you, physically, mentally, socially?

- [Katie] Well, I just like getting to know the horses, and bonding with the horses, and getting to know the people, and making a connection with the horses, different horses.

It's good for my tight legs, it's good for my speech, and then it's good for my balance.

- So the bonding with a horse, and then feeling all of these positives, does it make you sleep good at night?

- Yes, it makes me happy whenever I come here and get to ride a horse.

- [Shelley] What would you tell someone who's afraid to get on the horse?

- [Katie] Well, you can't be afraid, because they can sense your emotions.

So they can tell that you're afraid.

- [Shelley] Good, are you gonna do this forever?

- Yes, 'cause I love coming here.

I'll do it for as long as I can.

(gentle upbeat music) - [Shelley] What is it about the horse and that human connection?

- You know, it seems to be, it's just magical, I wanna say.

It's very hard to describe.

It's just you put your hand on a horse in that warm, fuzzy fur at this time of year, you look them in the eyes, there's just a connection that goes deep inside.

(gentle upbeat music ends) (upbeat music) - Celebrating vibrant people, captivating places, and remarkable things, this is "Living West Michigan."

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