A Conversation With...Kim Harvel of Ponies With Purpose, Inc.

While tending the Roundup booth at the State Horse Show over Labor Day weekend, we happened to notice a newcomer a few booths away: a nonprofit organization known as Ponies With Purpose. This being the unofficial Pony issue (never mind that the cover story explores "Pony" in an altogether different context), we decided we'd take the opportunity to get to know our new neighbor a little better. So this month, Roundup editor Lisa Broadwater headed to the Cabot headquarters of Ponies With Purpose to chat with executive director Kim Harvel.
But first: To clear up a common misconception, Ponies With Purpose isn't a therapeutic riding center. Its goal is to provide disabled children access to equines of all types — either by placing a pony with a child or providing opportunities for children to visit with and/or ride ponies (and other equines) at special functions.

Horsemen's Roundup: So, how did Ponies With Purpose get started?
Kim Harvel: I've got a 14-year-old with cerebral palsy. About three years ago, she wanted a pony. She was the first child in Arkansas to receive a pony through another nonprofit organization. But they only deal with miniature ponies, and she wanted to ride. So I thought, this ain't gonna work.
So I started my own group. And we deal with all kinds of ponies. We match children with disabilities with their own equine friends — whether they need a Quarter horse or miniature; whether they want a driving pony or a riding pony. We try to match their needs.

HR: Is it limited to physical disabilities?
KH: Any disability.

HR: You started in March of this year. What have you done so far?
KH: We're in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Tennessee, Missouri, Wisconsin, Florida and Arkansas, of course.

HR: How do you expand so fast?
KH: The Internet. It has been the most incredible thing.

HR: Has it grown quicker than you expected?
KH: Much. I expected it to go pretty good locally, here in Arkansas. Then it started going in Pennsylvania and Connecticut...and just went from there. Each state has their own state director, and each state basically does their own thing. They coordinate through the central office, which is here.

HR: Have you always had horses?
KH: Not until three years ago, when we got the one for my daughter, Melissa.

HR: Does she ride?
KH: She rides a little bit. She requires a special saddle and stuff, which we don't have. We were going to a place in the Mayflower area that charged $65 an hour, whether a child just looked at the horse or actually got on and rode. To me, that was outrageous.
We have ranches in nine states that allow the kids with disabilities to come free of charge. And if they just want to stand there and watch, that's fine. If they want to ride, that's fine. If they want to feed them or groom them or whatever, they're free to do so.

HR: How is having a horse good for children with disabilities?
KH: I can just tell you from personal experience. My daughter at age 11 weighed 47 pounds. She would not eat. When we got the pony, we would come outside every day and have a picnic with the pony. I just got back from the doctor, and my daughter weighs 103. So something is definitely happening.

HR: Is it her bond with the horse?
KH: Exactly. The interaction — there is something between a horse and a child. They have their own communication. These ponies know — I've taken ponies to summer therapy, where all the different therapists get together and the children come for therapy, and they knew whenever a child was there that couldn't reach out and touch them and they would go over and very serenely lay their head on their wheelchair.
I don't know. It's awesome. It really is. It's something you have to see.

HR: Do you travel a lot?
KH: Yes, I do.

HR: What's a typical month like?
KH: About 15,000 miles. For example, this summer I went to Connecticut to meet with the state director. I picked up a horse trailer, went to West Virginia and picked up a pony, then went to Pennsylvania and met the state director and community director over there. Went to Tennessee, Chicago — all over. I want to personally meet everybody who's involved in the organization.
I'm going to Chicago next weekend to pick up a pony. The following weekend I'm going to Nashville to pick up our trailer.

HR: How many ponies have you placed so far?
KH: I think 34 miniatures, 11 Quarter horses and four Welsh.

HR: And how are you doing it?
KH: By the grace of God.

HR: Tell me about Gabe [who is grazing nearby].
KH: He's a stallion miniature horse. He's 5 years old. He was donated to us from Tennessee.

HR: So the horse might come from one state and the recipient another?
KH: Right. Also, we have horses also go on different outings — for example, day therapies or summer camp. I'm trying to get into the schools, especially elementary schools, that do farm days and things like that.
I try to go at least once a month to someplace local. Right now, I'm trying to work with Arkansas Children's Hospital, to one of the spina bifida clinics. I'd like to work with Camp Aldersgate too.
We can take them to nursing homes. I've taken them to a hospital in Chattanooga.

HR: Where is your funding coming from?
KH: My pocket mostly. We have been getting some donations also.

HR: Where does the money go?
KH: To the placement and upkeep of the pony for a child with disabilities. We make sure all the daily care items — brushes, combs, feeding dishes, halter, lead rope — are also provided to the family with the pony.
We have two families who can't really afford the upkeep and have asked us on a couple of occasions for help, and we do.

HR: How many animals do you have here?
KH: Three. Gabe, Tinkerbell, who's a Welsh; and Junior, a miniature foal.

HR: How soon after your daughter got her pony did you notice a difference?
KH: Within an hour or two.

HR: How much time does she spend with him?
KH: Every day. She'll sit on the swing and have a pony in the yard with her.

HR: What kind of difference do you think it has made for her?
KH: She doesn't speak, but she can communicate in her own way with the pony. It's been a very positive influence.

HR: Is that what has driven you to do this?
KH: Yeah. I wish you could have seen her before and then now. There's a tremendous difference. If I can help one other kid, that's all that matters to me.

HR: What are your current needs?
KH: Everything. Volunteers, equines that are sound. We don't want to take one that requires a lot of vet care and someone doesn't want to deal with anymore; we've had that happen. But that's not the purpose of the organization — we're not a horse rescue. And we don't have that kind of money.
We need community directors — people who will represent their area.

HR: How many people are in the organization at this point?
KH: Right now, about 60 volunteers. I've had farriers and vets donate their services. We have volunteer breeders. I have people I can call when I need advice.

HR: Once you've placed a pony with a child, is that the end of it?
KH: No. We keep up with them. Once a year, they have to send back a medical form showing that a vet has been out there, a farrier's been there, that they have regular care. I personally try going every six months to check them out. That's what the community directors are designed to do — to check on the ponies in their area.

HR: How do you choose the kids?
KH: The kids choose us. We'll take the ponies for a visit first. And if the kid is afraid of that pony, we're not going to push the issue. We want a happy match — one that's going to last.

HR: Are ponies easier for children to handle?
KH: I think so. They're less intimidating.

HR: Can they be ill-tempered?
KH: I have had a couple of bad tempered ones, and I won't place them. We have three trainers in the organization. If we get a pony that I feel I wouldn't trust my child with, I'm not going to put it with somebody else's child. I send it to the trainers.
If we need a pony that drives a cart and we don't have one that's trained, we'll send them to one of the trainers.

HR: Where are the trainers?
KH: One's in Tennessee, one's in Iowa and one is here.

HR: Is there a minimum age of child who can participate in the program?
KH: No, the youngest I've placed is a 3-year-old.

HR: And you do some adults?
KH: Right, the younger adults. I placed one with a 22-year-old girl who has the mentality of a 5-year-old.

HR: Are the kids at ease right away with the ponies?
KH: Most of the kids I've placed ponies with are right at ease. The first thing they do is come up and want to hug their neck.

HR: Are their kids that a pony wouldn't be appropriate for?
KH: I'm sure there are, but I haven't seen one yet.

HR: What's your ultimate goal?
KH: I'd love to be in all 50 states. I would love every child with a disability who wishes a pony to have one.

HR: What else do we need to know?
KH: We're getting ready to have Pony Day at Burns Park on Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We've got some craft projects for the kids to do and a couple of games; we'll have a few ponies there that kids can pet, take their picture with and pet on. Mainly, we want the families to know this service is available.
We can be reached at (501) 676-9380. We also have a website [www.angelfire.com/ar3/ponieswithpurposinc] and email address [horseyloverk@aolcom]