Dr. Bonney MacDonald, an English professor at WTAMU for six years, has been bringing recognition to Canyon’s Dove Creek Ranch, an equine rescue facility, through her American Literature classes.
Five or six students have volunteered at Dove Creek Ranch as a direct result of Dr. MacDonald’s influence.
“I volunteer every other Saturday for about two or three hours,” said Ravyn Mares, a senior English Education major, who was recruited by Dr. MacDonald through a Facebook post that mentioned the volunteer program.  Volunteers, such as Mares, do several different things with the horses, such as grooming or mucking stalls.  Mares said that “once a month…we’ll actually get to ride the horses after working with them.”
Erika McGee, the Volunteer Coordinator and Administrator for Dove Creek Ranch, said that part of her volunteer program teaches all ages basic care of a horse “so that they don’t end up in a horse rescue or abandoned,” like many of the 22 rescue horses currently in their care.  McGee said Dove Creek is a different type of horse rescue facility in that they don’t just rescue horses and give them away again.
“We help these horses recover from abuse, neglect, or flat out abandonment, and turn them back into a horse and let them be a horse.” Student volunteers are welcomed at Dove Creek Ranch, much like the abandoned horses in search of a home.
In regards to volunteering at Dove Creek Ranch, Dr. MacDonald said that “to whom a great deal has been given, a great deal can and should be expected, especially when there are creatures, as well as people, who can’t always help themselves or don’t have a voice.”  That, coupled with her commitment to community outreach at WT, led to her involvement with Dove Creek Ranch, and has been on Dove Creek’s Board of Directors for three years.
Dr. MacDonald maintains that seeing the volunteers with rescued horses is a very rewarding experience and encourages students to volunteer saying that the “hands-on experience, like in Thoreau, is absolutely vitally connected to intellectual learning.” Dr. MacDonald said horse training has a deep-rooted connection with her own style of teaching.  She suggests “true horse training, and true teaching, are a conversation” between teacher and student, whether that student is a horse or a college freshman.
For more information about volunteering, sponsoring a horse, or donating is avaliable at  www.dovecreekranch.com.