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Cary riding academy connects at-risk girls with horses

A south Cary riding academy has the goal of helping at-risk girls get a "leg up" in life.

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By
Rick Armstrong, producer,
and
Renee Chou, anchor/reporter
CARY, N.C. — A south Cary riding academy has the goal of helping at-risk girls get a "leg up" in life.

Mo and Morgan met each other at Corral Riding Academy after a tough time.

Mo is a rescue horse -- rescued from neglect -- and 17-year-old Morgan was rescued from the wrong path.

Cary riding academy connects at-risk girls with horses

"He's like my best friend," said Morgan, who was referred to Corral after an incident. "There was an altercation with the police, and my court counselor actually recommended Corral."

Joy Currey, a former teacher, founded Corral Riding Academy to help young girls get on the right path in life.

"We provide a long term, holistic intervention," Currey said. "They really need people to support them -- to walk with them in life -- and so that's what we do here at Corral."

The program requires accountability, responsibility and keeping grades up.

Cary riding academy connects at-risk girls with horses

At first, Morgan resisted. She once considered dropping out of school.

"Corral is the only reason I did stay [in school], because if I'm not going to school, I can't come to Corral," Morgan said. "There was, like, needed intervention in my life."

At Corral, Morgan built friendships with other girls. More importantly, she discovered a connection with Mo.

"It's really cool how, like, they can read our emotions and respond to that," Morgan said, adding that she saw a bit of herself in Mo. "Being with them, you have to really be authentic for them to respond."

Sticking with Corral also helped Morgan increase her grades, which are now all As.

Eighty-six percent of the girls who attend Corral go on to college, and Morgan has overcome her social anxieties and gained self-confidence.

"Corral has taught me that, with enough effort and hard work, I can overcome any obstacles," Morgan said.

A new state law that takes effect Dec. 1 spares 16 and 17-year-olds from being tried as adults for most crimes. As a result, programs like Corral designed to help "at risk" youth may see an increase in demand but, so far, without more state funding.

According to Currey, the state has not indicated that they will increase funding for programs like Corral.

We found this story through the CBC UNC Diversity Fellowship program hosted at WRAL, which turns 12 students into reporters and anchors for one day.

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