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Learning life lessons on horseback

At a camp called Lead Changes, a stable of horses and an inspiring horseman empower tweens and teens.

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Chris Cox’s relationship with horses runs deep. They were the only means of transportation on the ranch in Australia where he grew up and have been his livelihood, as a renowned professional horseman and educator. Most profoundly, horses have been friends who understood Chris — and helped him understand the world. 

Chris wanted to give others what horses gave him. In 2018, he founded Lead Changes, a leadership camp that teaches youth ages 11 to 17 “life lessons through the horse.” At the Triangle C Dude Ranch outside Dubois, Wyoming, campers clean pens, feed and water horses, and build skills that transcend riding. “Learning how to care for an animal, we teach them work ethic, respect and team building,” Chris said. 

The horse-human connection is well-established, and equine-assisted services are beneficial to mental and emotional health. Research has found that simply petting a horse releases endorphins that improve well-being. Horses are empathetic and can read the facial expressions and emotional states of their handlers. Zoetis Equine, the world’s largest animal health company and a sponsor of Lead Changes, is committed to caring for horses, who do so much to care for humans. 

One returning Lead Changes camper is 13-year-old Phoenyx Bertussi, who has been around horses for most of her life. She first rode with her dad, who died a few years ago. In her second summer at camp, Phoenyx is noticeably more confident in her riding and demeanor, and she’s been paired with a horse with more forward motion, a mare named Shock and Awe. 

At Lead Changes, Phoenyx finds strength in herself, her horse and her community. Atop Shock and Awe, she rides toward her future — the happy, healthy, resilient woman she’s growing up to be. “People should be around horses, because they make you feel so special,” Phoenyx said. “They’ll just make you feel like you.” 

Watch the video above to learn about the powerful connections between Chris, Phoenyx and the horses at Lead Changes. 

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