ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — After Monday’s heavy snowfall, the employees and volunteers of Rainbow Riders on Mount Scio Road in St. John’s were presented with a problem they had not yet faced.
“We’ve only experienced two winters, and last year was not as bad in terms of snowfall,” executive director Kelly Sandoval said. “We were definitely taken off guard.”
The non-profit group, which is in its 30th year, is a small operation, so clearing the snow from the barn entrance had never been a big issue.
But the organization expanded in December 2017 to meet the demand for children and young people with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities, who use their facilities as a form of therapy.
Until the snow could be cleared, the horses had to remain in their stables, which could cause them to become agitated and stressed.
“With nine paddocks, roughly 60 by 60 feet, with that amount of snow — some of it waist high — it’s a large job,” Sandoval said. “To try to undertake that, even with our staff, even with the right equipment, would have taken a long time.”
After the group asked for help, seven people showed up to get the animals out of their barns. And Sandoval says the horses showed their gratitude once they were let out Wednesday morning.
“They were very happy, let’s put it that way, and you can tell,” Sandoval said. “They have quite the personality.”
The plan is to upgrade their snowclearing strategy soon, by purchasing a residential-size snow blower that can enter the enclosures, and by rallying their staff and volunteers prior to the next snowstorm.
“Just knowing now what could be the potential outcome from a large amount of snow, we’ll definitely be able to mitigate some of these problems that we found,” Sandoval said.
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