Wine Dine Equine event supports ARC’s GREAT program

November in Shreveport-Bossier kicks off with some worthwhile horsing around at the Silver Lake Ballroom in Shreveport. On Saturday, Nov. 1, The Arc Caddo Bossier has invited the community to saddle up for Wine Dine Equine from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Every other fall, The Arc Caddo-Bossier’s GREAT program hosts an event featuring live music, a silent auction and a multistation food court. This sponsored evening supports ARC’s GREAT program, offering equine-assisted services for children and adults with disabilities. GREAT stands for Great Results Equine Assisted Therapies.

The local center is a member of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.). GREAT follows PATH’s strict standards for instruction and safety. The program’s horses are either donated, leased or rescued, and each animal undergoes extensive training before beginning work with students.

“All of our instructors are certified instructors,” according to Caroline Hendrix, director of GREAT. “Our volunteer training program is also through PATH. We have to follow so many rules and regulations because you are putting people with special needs on horses. Our horses and instructors are very well trained.”

Since 1997, The Arc Caddo-Bossier’s GREAT program has provided equine-assisted services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Participants experience increased body strength, endurance and coordination, and develop independent decision-making skills, receive stress relief and improve their confidence. This every-other-year event helps raise the money necessary to provide programs like the GREAT program, according to Hendrix, which combines exercise, recreation and education into one transformative experience. “Our participants develop physical, cognitive and social skills while building meaningful relationships with our specially trained horses,” she added.

The Nov. 1 soirée has grown with the program over the years, Hendrix said. “The event is like a gala. We do sponsored tables. Morris DeWitt Injury Lawyers is our presenting sponsor this year.

“There is live music. It’s going to be Seth Bradford and Friends. We have a silent auction,” she said, which includes premium experiences and the work of local artists.

“I think what people love about the event is that we do a multi-station food sampling. We match local chefs with local farms. You walk around. It’s not a full dinner at each station; you get a sampling of eats. But no one leaves there hungry. We’ve got some great chefs this year.”

The culinary crew includes Chef Hardette Harris of Us Up North, paired with Farmer’s Seafood; Chef Blake Jackson of Heron | Mae & Co., paired with Wagyu Farms; Chef Jacob Mouser of The Chop Shop, paired with Sample Farms; and Chefs Cody and Ashlee Goudelock of Brit Bakehouse.

The activities that GREAT provides are designed to positively affect the physical, cognitive and social well-being of each rider. GREAT partners with local school systems and other disability service providers, as well as offering private lessons and inclusive summer camps. The group receives its primary funding from individual contributions, civic organizations, annual fundraisers, foundations and corporations. The specialized arena and stables are in a state-of-the-art facility on Greenwood-Springridge Road in Greenwood, La.

The training class for volunteers can be accessed through the organization’s website, www.arccaddobossier.org. Hendrix said there is an online application there, and folks interested in volunteering can sign up for a training class. “Then we run a background check, and then we match them to classes where they are available. Our classes are held on Monday through Friday mornings, and then on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, all day.

At the time of publication, sponsorships and additional tickets were still available for the event.

“We do a real casual attire, so I think people enjoy that,” Hendrix said. “Not having to get dressed up. Good music, good food and a silent auction. We have lots of good products in our auction this year as well. It’s sure to be an evening of unbridled fun.”

Where: Silver Lake Ballroom, 900 Market Street, Shreveport, LA 71101.

Tickets: $100 per person; $75 per person for Arc Caddo-Bossier members.

Purchase: https://www.thearccaddobossier.org/wde