Diane Johnson

Volunteer

Diane Johnson has volunteered at Little Bit since 2012. Before coming to Little Bit, she volunteered at a small therapeutic riding program in Colorado. Diane has always been drawn to horses and was lucky enough to finally get a horse of her own in her 30s.

At Little Bit, Diane has worn many volunteer “hats” over the years, including as a Team Captain, helping with Paddock Training and Program Volunteer Training (PVT), and doing grant research. She also serves as a Pony Pal to three of her favorite LB horses: Molly, Dolly, and Pixie. Over the years she has come to appreciate the sensitivity of Little Bit horses, seeing them time and again take care of a rider, even when the horse has been startled by something. Zorro is one horse who stands out in her memory for that reason.

“When people ask me why I volunteer at Little Bit, I tell them it’s because it’s so rewarding. I've seen first steps and first words. I've seen the joy on kids’ faces from discovering new abilities, and those wow moments just really stick with you. I also love helping and supporting the horses. They are such heroes. We rightly focus a lot on the riders, but these therapies wouldn’t be possible without these special animals.”

Asked about fun or surprising experiences from her time at Little Bit, Diane says it’s hard to pick just one! “I’ve worked with Leo the longest. He’s such a character, so there are lots of memories there. I’ll never forget the day he realized that he was strong enough to ride his horse without holding on to anything, essentially riding with his arms up and out to his sides…the look on his face was so joyful, so ecstatic, and so heartwarming to see.”

When asked how she would describe Little Bit, Diane states that it is best represented by the staff and the many volunteers—“Maybe it’s because of the mission of the place that the staff has a dedication that you don't see in a lot of other organizations.” She also commends the Barn Team volunteers for their hard work despite the weather: They’re “out there in basically fishing overalls because it's so wet, and in the wintertime it can get so cold that they have to constantly break up ice forming in the water buckets. When the session breaks occur, they still have to be there…Their commitment is amazing.” As for single words that capture the essence of Little Bit? “Purposeful, magical, inspiring.”

When asked about Little Bit’s importance to the broader community, Diane says, “It serves a really important need for disabled children and adults because of the unique ability of horses to replicate for a rider how humans walk, and thereby help strengthen their core; and there's all the multisensory pieces of it…It's a form of therapy that is not just unique, it's a power therapy because it does so much on so many levels all at the same time. That resource is important for the individuals and their families. …I feel like we exist in this world to help each other. This is a great way to do that…I wish every community could have a Little Bit.”

Diane looks forward to seeing what happens in Little Bit’s next 50 years: “I'm really glad to see where Little Bit is now. I think it's better than ever. I'm really grateful that I've been able to be a small part of it, and I hope that it is strong and viable long into the future.”

Find more 50th anniversary stories HERE.