Woman uses passion for music, horses to help others
RATHDRUM – What kind of person does it take to create a place for mentally and physically disabled people to come and learn to ride horses? Diana Clemons is the kind of person who jumps in and does what she decides to do with a single-minded determination that doesn’t recognize defeat.
“I’m a musician as a career, but my drug of choice is horses,” said Clemons, program director at Harmony Ranch Therapeutic Riding Center. “I try to use the two things I do well to be a benefit. You don’t know the disabled community until you have a child in it, and there’s a tremendous need for children with disabilities to have something to do.”
Clemons’ 15-year-old son, Caleb, is autistic, and has ridden horses since he was very young. This proud mother has seen the joy in him every time he’s with the horses.
“There is now documented medical evidence that therapeutic riding is of great benefit to the kids,” said Clemons. “Emotionally and physically. I have several kids with cerebral palsy whose muscle tone wasn’t good. We had to put them on very slow horses because it was so difficult for them. Now they ride with their heads up, holding on to their horses appropriately and we’re really seeing some great things. I don’t think people can believe the change in these kids unless they witness it.”
The horses used are all older, with great dispositions.
“They’re bomb-proof,” said Clemons. “We shoot baskets off them, throw toys off them, open mailboxes from them, and some of these kids are really noisy. These horses have to be so well-behaved.”
One child will scream orders at the horse, the next will quietly sit, while a third sings nonstop. Clemons is very particular about what horses are allowed into the program.
To keep the kids safe, some need a horse handler and a person walking on each side to make sure the child doesn’t fall off. “We try to keep the cost really low because we can’t bill Medicaid since we don’t have a doctor. So we have to make it affordable for families. We only charge $20 per one-hour session,” said Clemons who gives private and group lessons, but has a great need for volunteers to help her keep the business.
“Our board of directors are all working moms,” said Clemons, who has 40 music students to whom she gives private music lessons each week. “If I had someone volunteer to do five to 10 hours of office work each week or take over the e-mails or return phone calls it would be heaven to me. When I’m not teaching music lessons or my own personal practice of three to four hours a day, I’m with my son. I just don’t ever stop moving, and it’s really quite a balancing act.”
Horses are expensive to own and Harmony Ranch could use donations of hay, vet expenses and fencing.
“Just having someone support for the horses would be spectacular,” said Clemons. “The cost of feed is just … because of the hay shortage we had to order 30 tons of feed and put it on a credit card.” Clemons decided to use her background in music to help fund her passion to help disabled children grow confidence, muscle tone and knowledge of horsemanship. She’s planned a fundraising concert be held Dec. 9 at 2201 Government Way, Suite B. Cost will be $10 for adults and $5 for children with a family price of $25.
With a master’s degree from Juilliard in viola performance and two college degrees in performance, Clemons also studied in France in a conservatory and was in the Boise Philharmonic when she was 14 years old. She currently plays in the chamber orchestra and the Coeur d’Alene Symphony.
“I’ve been a professional musician all my life and have taught others viola and violin since I was 15,” said Clemons. “I started playing the fiddle about four years ago.
“We’ll have some old-time fiddling and some jazz,” she said. “I’ll play Bach Cello Suite No. 3.”
Helping disabled children holds a special place in Clemons’ heart, as does her horses and her music.
“I will say this until I can’t speak anymore,” said Clemons. “There are places where my son goes and he’s not welcome. But every single kid that comes into this barn with a disability is the most important person in that barn. We started this with a very old, mostly blind horse named Topper, my son has been riding him for years.” Swallowing back her emotions and blinking away tears, she continued. “He has no value to anyone on this planet, but here he’s worth his weight in gold because I can put my son on him and not be worried about a thing. He’s a great, great horse.”