Ready Set Ride is a therapeutic recreation facility that cures the “grumpity schmumipties.”

Well, that’s not exactly what the nonprofit Plainfield horse farm that serves special-needs children advertises on its website or promotional literature.

But that’s the ringing endorsement of 10-year-old Patrick Praetz of Bolingbrook. This Jamie McGee Elementary School fourth grader has an autism spectrum disorder known as Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s had a tough time over the years. But he beams with pride when he talks about Ready Set Ride.

“I get so excited coming here,” Praetz said. “I come here three days a week–sometimes

four. I feel happy. Not all grumpity schmumpity.”

Nope. “Grumpity schmumpity” is not allowed.

Naperville’s Lisa Afshari, who is on the Ready Set Ride board and does many of the day-to-day operations, said her favorite part of her job is hearing the kids laugh.

“Once you see them out there and hear them giggling…I tell our volunteers that’s the best part of this,” Afshari said. “The horses get going. The kids are smiling and then they start giggling. And this is very therapeutic for the volunteers as well.”

Afshari said she gets volunteers from all over including Chicago, Ottawa and towns on the Indiana border. One reliable volunteer is Minooka’s Sharleen Smith, who was a teacher at Sandburg High School in Orland Park for 33 years and is currently a substitute at Andrew High School in Tinley Park.

Another top volunteer is Lisa’s daughter, Mariah, who is a sophomore at Neuqua Valley.

“It’s been my life the last five years,” she said. “It means everything to me to come out and volunteer. I love that the horses are happy that you’re here. They don’t care what you are or what you are like. I could be here all day telling the horses how I feel. It’s like my stress cope. And I love being with the kids.”

Praetz says he feels “on top of the world” when he gets on top of his favorite horse, Bugsy.

But Praetz is more than a rider. He is one of the advanced children in the RSR program and volunteers as well as rides.

“He’s a different kid when he comes here,” Praetz’s mother, Beth, said. “He has self esteem and self confidence. He not only rides but he helps feed the horses and cleans the stalls. It’s a good outlet for him. Teams sports are hard for kids on the spectrum but this is his thing instead of soccer and t-ball.”

“If he has a tough day, just talking about this place makes a world of difference to him,” his father, Aaron, said. “It’s huge.”

There are nine horses at the farm, located at 13056 Essington Rd. next to Liberty Elementary School.  Afshari stresses the needs for funds, donations and volunteers for the farm, which opened in 2001. She is getting ready for the spring riding season, which opens in late March.

For more information about the program call 815-439-3659 or visit www.readysetride.org.

By Jeff Vorva

Triblocal.com reporter

Triblocal.com photos by Jeff Vorva