The Native Horsemanship Youth Program is a non-profit community organization, operating on the Port Madison Indian Reservation. Our mission is to preserve and teach traditional (Comanche/Numunu) horsemanship to interested youth and families on our reservation and surrounding community, regardless of their ability to pay and to offer classes to youth and families with disabilities. (We have many participants on the autism spectrum.) We support ourselves with donations, grants, and music fundraisers.
Lynne learned about Comanche horsemanship from her grandma and great-grandparents. Lynne's great grandfather, who taught his family these methods, had Eastern Band Cherokee descendancy, but learned Comanche horsemanship growing up in Texas near the Red River. This included developing a trusting relationship with his horses, as well as using minimal, horse-friendly cues with them.
Lynne lives on the Suquamish Tribe's Port Madison Indian Reservation where family members are enrolled and where the Native Horsemanship classes are held.
"I learned that I should never have to use my hands to tell my horse what I needed. I learned I could communicate with my knees and weight, but also learned that I needed an extremely close relationship with my horse to have the kind of horsemanship they were speaking of. I've been trying ever since."
Lynne uses her 1997 AQHA stallion, Tuff Design, as the lesson/therapy horse.
The NHYP started in 1998, and so far has served hundreds of reservation youth, families, and military personnel. Any age, any ability, or disability that a family is facing, our horses are specifically trained to safely interact with their student friends.
Please feel free to recommend our program to someone who could benefit, and/or donate to our program. 100% of your donation goes directly to supporting this program, which is free to our low-income and disabled participants.
