Our Featured Volunteer of the month is Jenn Leckey!
“I am grateful to be involved with such an iconic Halifax facility. In addition to the traditional horsemanship programs, the Lancers give back to the community in many ways, one of which is through therapy groups involving horses.”
Our Featured Volunteer of the month is Jenn Leckey!
Jenn is a clinical psychology Ph.D. student at Dalhousie, she began as one of the mental health professionals in the Building Internal Resilience Through Horses (BIRTH) program at Lancers in 2021, as a psychologist. The BIRTH program was developed by The Mane Intent, an organization in Ontario, as a research-driven, community-based initiative founded on the expectation that hands-on equine-assisted learning programming, combined with trauma-informed psychoeducation, would help enhance participants’ internal resiliency resources, which would, in turn, contribute to their improved mental health outcomes and reduced risk of harm in the future.
Jenn rode as a child and adolescent in New Brunswick until she moved to Halifax for university. Since beginning her volunteer role at Lancers, she has been able to reconnect with her love of horses, after the first couple of years in Halifax not having that opportunity. “Working with the BIRTH program allows me to combine two things that I’m passionate about – horses and psychology. Applying the skills I’m learning in my clinical psychology degree to a therapy group involving horses has been an interesting and enjoyable opportunity.”
Jenn has experienced first-hand the positive impact horses have on her life, she now loves being able to see the benefits that this program and the horses are having on others. “Everyone at the Lancers has been very warm and welcoming and I hope to continue my role in the BIRTH program.” We are so grateful for the contributions Jenn has made to Lancers and our Equine Supported Wellness program we hope that she is able to continue to work with us as we grow these programs and build better lives through horses.
