HERALD JOURNAL

BY, LISA STEWART

A typical day at Whispering Canyons includes a group of lively pre-teen and teenage girls heading to a ranch west of Logan after school to clean out the stalls, brush down horses and saddle up for horsemanship lessons provided by foundation president and head trainer Merrill Gould.

Gould started giving Western horsemanship lessons five years ago to a friend’s daughter when he saw that she needed “something more in her life,” according to his wife, Sharon Gould. The girl helped take care of Merrill’s horses, and he saw the impact it made in her life. Soon, she was bringing a few friends along for lessons, and it eventually turned into Whispering Canyons, a program designed to help girls who are troubled or underprivileged.

“He’s got a heart of gold, he really does,” said Lindy Hochstettler, whose daughter Autumn recently joined.

Each girl is given a horse to take care of. They come every day after school and on Saturdays. The horsemanship lessons, often geared toward 4-H competitions, build their confidence and patience, Hochstettler said. Training also helps those who are shy to be more social. Additionally, Merrill teaches the girls life lessons.

“What we try to do here is start out with very small principles because it’s the little things that get involved with the big things,” Merrill said.

Hochstettler said her daughter Autumn is happier and has something to look forward to every day now that she’s in the program. Autumn was never into sports or clubs, but loves animals and especially horses. When they looked into joining a 4-H horse club, they were dismayed to find out they had to own a horse, which was beyond their financial capability.

The 4-H office recommended Lindy call Merrill to see if he had room for Autumn in his program. Since then, Autumn and her horse have bonded and Autumn looks forward to going to the ranch each day.

The connection between the horses and the girls is something to see, Lindy

 said. “They’re really bonded to them. When the girls walk in, their ears perk up. It’s really cute.”

The girls are often so dedicated that they can be seen walking down the road to the ranch even during school vacations, said Heather Burt, a board member whose daughter also is part of the program.

“They love it, that’s the thing,” Burt said.

The foundation requires parents and the girls to sign paperwork to commit to the program, but some girls do drop out when they get older and develop other interests, Burt said.

Most people hear about the foundation by word of mouth, according to Burt. The board has to be selective when taking applications to ensure the girls with the greatest need that can handle the program are chosen. The foundation takes girls from many different situations, such as those who are in broken homes or just cannot afford to own a horse. There is currently a wait list to get in.

The foundation can only take as many girls as it can provide horses for, according to Amy Coppieters, the foundation’s treasurer. Her daughter is also a program participant. Some people have donated horses, but the board often discovers donated horses are not suited for the program. Whispering Canyons is not a horse rescue, she added.

However, the program still relies heavily on community support, Coppieters said. Without donations of volunteer time, money and supplies, the foundation would not be what it is today, nor what it hopes to continue to be in the future, she said.

The program attracts volunteers from the community and USU and accepts those of all skill levels, Coppieters said. The parents try to get involved with they can, and a number of them are now on the board of directors.

Steve Bowen, the foundation’s vice president, became involved because he lives down the street from where the program used to be housed. He has always loved horses but never owned one, and when he found he had spare time, he started helping Merrill.

“I have seen a big change in the girls in the two-and-a-half years since I’ve been in this program,” Bowen said.

Recently, Whispering Canyons became a 501c nonprofit to qualify for grants and make it easier to raise money, Coppieters said. Merrill and the board members contribute as much of their own resources as they are able to ensure the girls do not have to pay if they are unable and can continue doing what they love.