As activities at Camp Sunshine ended Sunday at Percy Quin State Park, campers said goodbye to each other and some new four-legged friends.
Horses owned by Kelli Landrum and her husband Doug, who operate Gaites of Grace riding stable near Stringer, were part of numerous activities at the annual weeklong camp, which pairs campers who have special needs with youth and young adult counselors at Percy Quin State Park.
The stable has 17 horses, most of which were abused by their previous owners.
The Landrums take their horses to various events and receive no fees except for gas money. They have had a handicapped riding program since 2001.
“This is a family-based business. We have lots of horses and train them to work with handicapped kids and young adults,” Kelli Landrum said. “You have to give the horses props. Spectacular Spec, an Arabian, was our first hynotherapy horse. It was Doug’s horse and we used his horse and my horse, Heather, to work with three Down’s Syndrome children and one with Cerebral Palsy.”
Landrum said she and her husband started working with other riding programs in 2005.
“We started networking with other organizations across the state who also do handicapped riding and because we didn’t have a home anymore because of Katrina,” Landrum said. “After Katrina, the stable wasn’t used anymore and we moved to Stringer. We’ve participated in huge events in Jackson with other therapy groups.”
The Landrums have seven biological and foster children who help with the business. They include Kross, Lane, Gracie, Harley, Quest, Baye and Patience. Staff members include Lyndsey and Marty Leach and Tammy, Lauren and Sara Scott.
“It takes that many people to run a handicapped program because for every horse, you have to have a leader and two side walkers and four loaders on the ramp,” Landrum said.
Landrum said the horses have the unique ability to work with riders.
“The horses choose to do this,” she said. “They have demonstrated certain qualities in the beginning. A lot of these horses are rescued horses. A lot of them have been neglected and abused. Basically, they have to show us they have that gentle spirit. From there, I can teach them anything they need to know.”
Landrum said there are different ways to train the horses.
“We take them to a lot of different environments. We expose them to a lot of strange things like umbrellas, tin cans, walking over tarps and sudden noises,” Landrum said. “We just keep walking them until they get comfortable.”
Landrum said the stable includes horses that can no longer run.
“Instead of putting them down, we re-purpose their life,” Landrum said. “It doesn’t matter what breed of horse they are. I have hot-tempered Arabians and miniature ponies. I have one horse that is blind.”
Landrum said campers often dress the horses.
“Campers dress up horses in bikinis, prince outfits and gangster clothes,” Landrum said. “We even had an astronaut horse. If the kids can think of it, they have done it. It takes a special group of horses to do that. You couldn’t ask for any better horses.”
Landrum trained horses for 17 years working at the University of Southern Mississippi Equestrian Center until it closed 1996. She is also a special education teacher and started a special needs riding program while in college.
Landrum said her group is always in need of volunteers all across the state.
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For more information, call Kelli Landrum at (601)-408-6079.
