The Chronicle of the Horse

A SECOND CHANCE FOR GIRLS AND HORSES    

For abused girls at Crossroads Group Home,
the love of an animal is one of the best medicines.
Amber Heintzberger

Crossroads Group Home, in Greenville, S.C., is a therapeutic residential program that uses animal assisted therapy to treat sexually abused adolescent girls. In short, it is a place where humans and animals benefit from one another.

Located on 18 acres in Greenville County, Crossroads houses 16 girls ages 10-18 years in its high management program and up to 10 girls ages 16-21 in the supervised independent living program.

"Nine times out of ten," said Executive Director Lorraine Turner, "their homes aren't appropriate for the girls to go back to. They have to learn to fend for themselves."

Started in 1994 by sisters Lorraine Turner and Kelly Roseberry, the farm has several barns, all of open front, row-style construction. Appealing to the eye and highly functional, the main barn was constructed almost entirely by Lorraine and the girls.

It's "not bad for an old woman and a bunch of kids!" said Turner with a grin. Tack and equipment are donated, as are all of the horses at Crossroads. Because the program is classified as a non-profit organization, all donations are tax-deductible.

The girls assist in every aspect of the farm. While the management doesn't depend on the kids to do everything, they keep them involved, considering involvement one of the most important aspects of recovery. For fun, the girls are taken on horse-related outings, such as a group outing to see the movie, The Horse Whisperer, and trips to nearby Riverbend Equestrian Center to watch horse shows and clinics. Once a year they host a presentation at Riverbend of a group of Lippizan horses, which benefits the home.

Crossroads now houses 22 horses and an assortment of dogs, cats, chickens, cows, a sheep, and a donkey named Fluffanilla. All dogs are certified as service animals by a program called Pet Partners. Turner reinforced that because of the uncertain emotional state of many of the girls, the dogs must be entirely trustworthy and not likely to snap or growl at the girls under any circumstances. Some of the girls who are emotionally impaired might cry or scream at any given time from memories of abuse. Especially when dealing with a 1,200-pound horse, extreme caution must be exercised.

Additional horses are kept at the home of riding instructor Jan Kelly. She may keep them for up to six months to make sure they will be suitable for the program at Crossroads. Horses are also rotated between the two farms so that they can spend some time relaxing in pasture turn-out. If an animal that is rescued is not appropriate for interaction with the children, it is nurtured back to health and placed in a caring home.

Wanting To Be Part Of The Program

Because it benefits horses as well as people, the program has a working relationship with the Humane Society, Clemson University (S.C.) Extension, the South Carolina Horsemen's Council, and the Greenville Horsemen's Association. Under the direction of Turner, many horses have been rescued from a variety of circumstances, including several that were destined for human consumption in Japan before Crossroads intervened.

Through the efforts of Turner and Kelly, numerous horses have been donated to Crossroads' program. One of the horses is Jope, a Dutch Warmblood gelding trained through Prix St. Georges level dressage. When he developed hock and back problems in 1997, owner Shelly Dayton of Tryon, N.C., donated him to Crossroads. She discovered them in an equine newspaper when she was looking for a school to donate him to.

"I like this program," said Dayton, "because Jope can both give and receive affection."

Jope wasn't just unloaded as a tax write-off. Dayton said that he is a bossy horse and would annoy pasture mates by wanting them to play constantly, so she had a paddock and small barn built for him to ensure that he is comfortable in his new home. In addition to paying for medical treatment for the horse, Dayton also had a fly control system installed in both Jope's barn and the main barn. Though Jope cannot be ridden, the handsome gelding makes a good "spokesperson" for Crossroads and accompanies Turner and Kelly to many presentations.

Trainer Jeanne Smith of Gowansville, S.C., has sent half a dozen clients' horses to Crossroads. "I've never been down there myself, but all the clients have said really good things about the facilities. They're very nice to deal with, and they've taken excellent care of all the horses."

One of Smith's clients is Kaye Redditt, who donated a Selle Francais gelding to the program. An ex-show jumper that had competed on the Chilean Olympic team, the horse had also been used as a field hunter and an eventer. Having developed navicular, he was no longer able to compete at age 15.

"I wanted him to have a good home where he'd still be useful," said Redditt. "I knew that at Crossroads he'd flourish; he would respond to them, and they would respond to him. This horse wants to be a lap dog. He needs human contact, and those girls need him, too. He can go all day long doing this stuff."

Having had a previous bad experience donating a horse, in which the horse was sold by the recipients and turned up at a horse show in Long Island, Redditt was wary of the situation. She did sign a contract preventing Crossroads from selling the horse to anyone except her, but says that they made her feel confident that he would be well cared for.

"Jan came to see him and rode him, then she came back with Lorraine," said Redditt. "They spent two or three hours describing the program. I really appreciated that they made me feel comfortable. They handled things very personally and in a caring way."

Jan Kelly, who is certified by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, (NARHA), teaches riding lessons at Crossroads, but her participation extends well beyond the riding arena. In the barn, a small girl picking out a pony's feet requests assistance. Walking into the house, a number of girls run up to Jan and bombard her with both questions and stories. Tasks are endless, but Jan takes everything in stride and offers help willingly.

"Mental problems aren't recognized as they should be," Turner said, "and the importance of treating mental illness is underestimated. People tend to ignore the problem. Our girls are a product of their environment; we try to reach them through the animals. The animals are great because they don’t judge the kids, they just accept them.."

Making A Difference

Turner established Crossroads after working at a psychiatric hospital where she saw kids being locked up. Only one other facility in the United States has a program similar to Crossroads: the Green Chimneys program in Brewster, N.Y., started by Dr. Samuel Ross in the 1940s which also uses animal-assisted therapy.

Research conducted by the Delta Society has shown that the presence of an animal produces positive results in safety, self-esteem and dealing with loneliness and depression. In the high management program the girls are supervised and receiving counseling much of the time. When they graduate to the supervised independent living program, they have much more responsibility for themselves and are encouraged to look for work and a new place to live. They still receive as much support as they need, and the staff will assist them to incredible lengths, but the ultimate goal is complete independence.

There is a correlation between animal abuse and child abuse in the home. Identifying incidences of animal abuse can be key to identifying abusive situations for children. For instance, in one household the father had hung the family cat. That in itself would have been a traumatic event for any child living in that house.

"We see a lot of girls with poor hygiene," said Turner. "Beautiful girls that think that if they don't wash themselves or brush their hair, then they won't be pretty and that might keep them from being molested again. We really try to teach them to take care of their bodies. Things as simple as hygiene really improve after spending time around the horses; having to take care of the animals, the girls learn to take care of themselves better."

Kelly says the animals are also "good spokespersons." Often they will take a horse to do a public demonstration. "It's a good opportunity to share our riding program and the clinical aspect," she said.

At Crossroads, they emphasize goals, boundaries, and empathy. "It's the same at demonstrations as it is at home when we use animals," said Kelly. "The horses don't say a word, but people get the message better than if I talked for hours."

Wendy Cochran discovered Crossroads when she read about them in the Spartanburg, S.C., newspaper. Cochran has spent countless hours visiting Crossroads and collecting clothing and other donations. Saddles, computers, and horses have found their way to Crossroads under Cochran's direction. She is also the organizer of a benefit schooling show.

"I have a sincere belief in what they are doing," said Cochran. "I talk about them incessantly to everyone I know. They take people from hopeless situations and turn them into viable human beings. I've been there when girls have arrived in handcuffs. It's terrible, and they see this every day, but they remain enthusiastic about what they do."

The local Foothills Dressage and Combined Training Club (FDCTC) hosted an informational meeting with Crossroads last year and is hosting a schooling dressage show in their benefit.

FDCTC President, Amy Correll, who visited the facilities, said, "Those girls just love the horses; they turn into innocent little girls again when they're around them. The home is so great because it really is a home; it's not like an institution. And the girls can feel safe and happy there, but at the same time they make them take responsibility for themselves and get on with their lives."

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