Jeannette has been involved with Between Horses and Humans since 2013. The organization's mission and her passion for helping kids are what drew her into the organization. Wanting to find a way to support BHH, she helped host garden parties and fundraiser events at her home and became good friends with Barbara Slade, the founder and executive director at the time. Once she left her corporate job in 2020, Jeannette became the volunteer coordinator for Between Horses and Humans and volunteered in the barn.
When Barbara retired, Jeannette jumped in to fill the role of program manager. When Seanna Jackson joined Between Horses and Humans this past year as the program director, Jeannette moved to serve as director on the board managing the fundraising and outreach and the program development committees as well as volunteering at the barn a few days a week.
With a job as a social worker in the school district, Jeannette knew the benefits BHH could provide to students who needed life and emotional skills training.
“Our horses are just so emotionally connected with the children and help support them through whatever they're going through,” Jeannette said. “They just have such an unconditional response to them no matter what.”
Jeannette recently launched a pilot program to take kids from the school district to the barn after school to interact with the horses. The six-week program impacted the students, who told her how amazing their time was and that it was the best six weeks of their lives.
During her time at Between Horses and Humans, Jeannette has witnessed some amazing ways the horses have transformed the lives of their participants.
One child who at first wouldn’t go near the horses and advanced to petting and eventually riding the horses outside and practicing their breathing techniques to be able to do so. Another girl who had a lot going on in her life only wanted to stand in the arena and speak to her horse, and it ended up helping her tremendously that day.
“It’s not about getting a kid to do ‘a thing’,” she said. “It’s about facilitating the experience until the magic happens between the child and the horse.”
She hopes to spread the message of what Between Horses and Humans can do for kids in need.
“We provide kids with a place to come that they can explore their strengths and develop their confidence in an environment that's unconditional and free of judgment and allow them to just learn about their very authentic, capable selves through that process,” Jeannette said.
