December 2020/January 2021 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN December 2020/January 2021 Page 23 Reach families with horses and equestrian professionals looking to relocate to this region with an ad in East Coast Equestrian . For more information, call (717) 509-9800. The news East Coast horse owners need to know Submit your events to steph@eastcoastequestrian.net for inclusion in our calendar at no charge! Please provide event name, location, city, state and contact information by the 10th of the prior month. Attention Event Organizers! The news East Coast horse owners need to know Real Estate From Dark Days to a Bright Future And it continues to blos- som—a result of Garner’s hard work and dedication. In Septem- ber he was named the company’s September Employee of the Month, lauded for his leadership and teamwork and the way he exemplifies the company’s val- ues. All of this, he says, grew out of his experiences in the Second Chances program. A Change of Heart He’s not working with hors- es, but horses are rarely far from his thoughts. “Over the summer I was cutting grass on weekends at a farm,” he says. The farm had a bunch of horses, and he did what his heart told him to do. “I went and groomed the horses after cutting the grass.” It turns out Garner’s experience with horses was profound. “I really can’t describe any other time in my life when I was just complete and at peace with the universe and myself than when I’m touch- ing a horse. It’s just amazing,” he says. He says that getting to this place took a lot of work, and he had to give up a lot of notions about women and himself. “I’ve tried rehab. I’ve tried 12-step programs. I’ve tried so many different avenues, but nothing came close to helping me change my ways of thinking than Second Chances. Nothing worked for me ever in my life until I went to that program.” He’s now a machine supervi- sor and is building his life around his job and the opportunities that are now available to him. “I know I have a choice every day. I don’t have to be resentful and hold onto the pain.” He reflects on all the ways his experience with the horses changed him. “People asked me what changed. I tell them it was equine therapy. But it’s much more than that. I was really inspired by that program.” He credits Stein for her mentor- ship and leadership, and Second Chances for bringing such a tal- ented and insightful person onto the farm to work with the inmates in the program. It’s all proof of the power that each individual has. “Faith is not about finding meaning in the world,” according to writer Terry Tempest Williams. “There may be no such thing—faith is the belief in our capacity to create meaningful lives.” Indeed. (Continued from page 18) Remember...tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian! The news East Coast horse owners need to know