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Kentwood’s EAD program featured on WKTV special

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, , ,
Coe, Cora and Smartie all lined up. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org


When Maggie headed out to visit EAD in Kentwood last spring it had been a rough week for the 18-year-old. The emotional roller coaster of school coupled with her college plans not falling into place had all been challenges.

So the opportunity to escape from it for a few hours by helping to film a documentary about Kentwood’s EAD, the Equine Assisted Development located at 3224 32nd St. SE, seemed like a nice reprieve. 

EAD Founder and Executive Director Deb VanderBand handed Maggie a brush and introduced her to several of the horses, including Noel, EAD’s only miniature horse, and a friendship was formed.

One of the EAD horses in the outside ring. (EAD)

“You could really see a change in her,” said Gary VandeVelde, the producer and director of the EAD program which airs Wednesday, July 10 at 4 p.m. and Friday, July 12, at noon on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99.

A change that showed her confidence and leadership as she became the natural leader in a group exercise, giving everyone the support they needed to complete the task.

VanderBand that is what EAD is all about. Helping anyone get through the hurt they are facing.

“Hurting is basically circumstances that you were not aware that you were going to come into,” VanderBand said. “Situations that often times have us go sideways.”

This could be a divorce, loss of a loved one, being bullied or being the bully and sometimes life just not going the direction you expected.

According to EAD Founder Deb VanderBand, when you are leading a 1,200 pound horse, you totally focused on the task and are more likely to answer open-ended questions freely. (EAD)

In the upcoming program, VanderBand demonstrates how the non-riding experience works. 

“So when you come into the arena, I ask you to walk a 1,200 pound animal around,” VanderBand said, “You are moving constantly. You are concerned that your foot is going to get stepped on. So when I ask you an open ended question, you are not filtering through how to answer my question, you are concentrating on the process you are in.

“Horses mirror our emotions. They have a six-second memory and are absolutely incapable of being manipulated because they live moment-by-moment. So they are giving you the most authentic piece of information that you could ask for because they do not and are not capable of judging you the way you think you are. They bring out the best in people.”

The upcoming EAD documentary will air Wednesday at 4 p.m. and Friday at noon and throughout the summer, so check the WKTV schedule. The EAD website is eadgl.org.