The good Cornellians can do: Terri Tarbox ’85

When Terri Tarbox '85 is not working as a data analyst for a healthcare company, you can find her at the barn. For the past few years, Terri has been loving her volunteer role at the Horse Empowered Learning Program (H.E.L.P.). She manages horse care and feeding, prepping for lessons, and mentoring other volunteers who want to assist with care of the herd.

“I’ve been involved with horses most of my life and had really been missing working with them, so I decided to look into this organization,” she says. “I knew immediately after attending the orientation session that I would be a part of this group.”

H.E.L.P. is a therapeutic riding center that helps people with disabilities learn to ride. The center also helps senior riders maintain their strength and independence. Working with the horses helps build riders’ confidence, Terri explains.

“Riding helps them develop both physically and emotionally,” she says. “It’s so rewarding to watch a young man who came to us completely non-verbal now speaking in complete sentences. And a young woman with cerebral palsy has gained the strength to ride on her own, and she's now considering going to medical school!”

Terri invites anyone in the Austin area to check out the web site or get involved with H.E.L.P..

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