The KUHLmann family

Little Bit Volunteer and Participant Family

John Kuhlmann and Leah Hall have been involved with Little Bit since their daughter Hannah started riding in 1997, almost 30 years ago. Initially, they would merely drive Hannah to Little Bit and watch her ride in her classes, but over the years they have become much more involved. For the past 10 years, Leah has been deeply involved with the annual Reins of Life auction, procuring auction items and desserts for the event that help raise funds for Little Bit. When Little Bit restarted Adaptive Riding classes after the forced nine-week closure due to the pandemic in 2020, family members and caregivers were trained to be sidewalkers to limit interactions due to ongoing COVID precautions. That’s when and how John became Hannah’s sidewalker and he’s continued in that capacity for the past five years, as well as volunteering at various events.

When Hannah was born, she had very little muscle tone and core strength. For the first few years of her life, she couldn’t sit up straight and struggled with balance. Decades later, one of John’s favorite images is of Hannah sitting up straight on her horse with her arms outstretched, not holding on to anything. “The picture we have of that never fails to move me,” says John. “In it, I can see how far she’s come, in great part to Little Bit’s support.”      

Little Bit continues to stand out among the other therapies Hannah has been involved in over the years as the most enjoyable and the most valuable. “Little Bit has so much more to offer then just riding a horse,” says Leah. It’s important to their extended family and their friends who have become involved with the Little Bit community in meaningful ways. “That speaks less to the specific service it offers and more to the community having drawn us in, having been wonderful, gracious, accommodating and helpful,” says John.

“The things that Hannah likes so much about Little Bit are what our involvement has grown around,” continues John. He feels the value of Little Bit comes not just from Hannah’s riding lesson, but from the community and events surrounding that community. Hannah loves learning the names of the horses, the volunteers, her fellow riders and their parents, asking questions about them, and forming attachments to the people involved in her class.   

Some of Leah’s favorite memories include her times volunteering for the auction and all the people she has gotten to work with over the past ten years. “It’s a rewarding experience for me,” Leah shares. She has also volunteered to help with administrative tasks over the years and has enjoyed her time in the office. “It’s the community aspect, the social aspect, of being part of what we consider to be one of the most important things in our family life and certainly for Hannah.”

John shares that Hannah talks about Little Bit all the time. For the past few years, they have been able to spend their car time to and from Little Bit talking about the horses, her fellow riders and their families. “That three-hour road trip to and from her weekly lesson has turned from something that was very difficult into something that’s really been wonderful,” shares John.

John and Leah feel that while it has grown considerably, Little Bit has remained true to its roots and its mission. “It’s been rewarding to see Little Bit get bigger and be able to accommodate more students. . . it’s grown so successfully over the years, and we’ve been able to be part of that, and contribute to it,” says Leah. John adds, “I think that the fundamental characteristics of the people there, the fundamental goals, the attitudes that people have, the friendliness, the service that they offer. . . those things have remained constant.” They feel that Little Bit’s importance in the community stems from the thousands of people who have had positive experiences at Little Bit, whether they have received services, worked or volunteered at Little Bit, or supported Little Bit in some way; and that number and connection continues to grow every year.    

What’s significant about Little Bit celebrating its 50th anniversary? “That Little Bit has grown so much in the twenty five plus years Hannah has been riding,” says John. Leah adds, “Years that have been an invaluable family experience that we hold dear.”

Find more 50th anniversary stories HERE.