Marcia is one of our valued horse handlers. She has assisted with side walking, has volunteered with our Rock on Veteran’s (ROV) program, and worked with the conditioning team as well.
Marcia’s love for horses started early and grew with time. As a teen she was able to ride with a friend who had horses. As an adult however, life/family/career became her focus. Even so, she still longed to have a horse of her own. Her job as a QA Engineer at Oracle required a lot of overtime, and it just was not in the cards.
That all changed for Marcia when she retired and moved to Georgetown. At the young age of 50, she got her first horse! Since that time, she has participated in Cowboy Dressage shows and attended clinics on such things as ‘cow work’- herding and cutting with her horse, Elliot.
Even while still living in California, Marcia had dreamed of volunteering in Equine Assisted Therapy. As fate would have it, once landing in Georgetown she met a woman who knew our CEO, Nancy Krenek. Marcia immediately made an appointment to tour the facility and was impressed by what she saw. She did her training as soon as she could and jumped right in.
Marcia says that being around horses is just wonderful. She gets immense satisfaction from working with these intelligent creatures and is grateful for the opportunity. Marcia knew she would cherish her time with the horses, but what she did not realize was how personally rewarding volunteering at ROCK would be.
She was not prepared for the depth of emotion she experienced as she has watched the riders progress physically, mentally, and emotionally. Getting a hand squeeze from a nonverbal rider, or an unprompted hug/smile is truly heartwarming.
Another area that brings joy to Marcia is watching veterans make a connection with a horse. Helping to facilitate an individual overcome their fear or intimidation of a large animal is immensely satisfying. Witnessing the connection that is made and the joy and comfort the horse brings is profound.
Marcia’s favorite part of volunteering is the authentic connections she has made with riders, instructors/staff, and other volunteers. No matter what the day has been like leading up to her time at ROCK, she always goes home in a good frame of mind.
When not volunteering at ROCK, Marcia likes to spend time with her daughter and family. She loves to play, read, and cook with her adorable 5 ½ year old granddaughter. She is also teaching her about horses and riding. Marcia also loves time with her horse and her dog, loves to read, cook, watch movies, listen to music, or just spend time with friends.
March Featured ROCKateer: Janelle Dooley