About Corral

Why Horses?

Horses are relational animals; they have the unique ability to change girls' lives through a bond based on trust, growth and learning. Their size and strength help riders overcome fear and develop courage, confidence and respect. Their independent, distinctive personalities force our girls to learn social skills, anger management, impulse control, patience, adaptability and problem solving skills in order to become better riders. The responsibility of horse care teaches compassion, hard work, teamwork and communication.

Most importantly, horses don't care about our girls' problems, backgrounds, or perceived shortcomings. Instead, they offer unconditional positive regard, which creates an environment where our riders are comfortable and motivated enough to learn and grow.

In addition to our two-legged focus, we help abused or mistreated horses by adopting them into our program, giving them a good home and the care they deserve.

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Our Girls

Our program focuses on helping girls who are having a tough time and need a leg up in life. These are girls who may have experienced trauma, difficult life circumstances or who simply may have the odds stacked against them. Our goal is to help these girls work through their struggles, avoid risky behaviors and move forward successfully in life.

40% of our girls have attempted suicide.
50% of our girls live below the poverty line.
50% of our girls turn to boys or men for self-esteem.
60% of our girls do not live with their birth mothers.
70% of our girls have experienced abuse of some kind.
80% of our girls were failing academically before entering the program.
100% of our participants have been treated poorly by men.

The paths these girls are walking don’t offer much hope for the future. But the quotes below prove they are healing from the wounds of their past and making choices that will positively impact their futures.

“Letting my emotions out with my horse has taught me to be myself. I want to work on staying out of trouble because staying out of trouble gives me time to do things that I like to do instead of getting consequences.” —From our youngest participant

“My life may not be going as well as I would like it to be, but I don’t know where I would be if I did not participate in this program. I cannot promise that by staying in this program I will always make the best decisions, but I promise that I will try my absolute hardest.” —From our oldest participant

“I have a place where I belong and it’s here that I have a family I can count on. I feel loved and accepted and I didn’t realize until today that, inside myself, I deserve to live.” —A recent breakthrough by one of our participants

“I thank God and CORRAL for helping me find my baby again, for helping her find her voice and for showing her a different way of going about things. Her path is a lot brighter and she’s beginning anew. I can’t do it alone, and I am asking for your continued help to give her a better way.” —From the mother of a participant

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Who We Are

• Joy Currey, Founder and President

  Joy holds a B.A. in Business Administration from UNC Chapel Hill and a Master's degree from Columbia University in School Leadership. She taught for two years in inner-city Philadelphia schools through Teach For America and for two years as a founding teacher of a highly successful college preparatory school for disadvantaged youth in Brooklyn. Most recently, Joy was the director of a large riding school in Raleigh, NC, which serves over 200 students per week. She rode for the UNC Chapel Hill equestrian team and currently competes at the USEA Training and Preliminary levels. Joy has combined her desire to help girls in need with her passion for horses to create Corral.

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• Rob Currey, Co-Founder and Treasurer

  Admittedly, Rob isn't a gifted rider. Nor does he claim to understand the power of horses. But he does appreciate the character traits and skills developed through caring for animals. He grew up on a farm in Michigan working with cattle and learned valuable lessons there that have served him throughout his life. Rob brings a business background in finance and consulting to Corral. But his biggest contribution is his heart - and his resolve to help kids in need. Corral wouldn't exist without Rob's guidance and support.

  
  
  
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• Jennifer Hyatt, Director of Development

  Jenn has worked with at-risk youth, both locally and internationally, and seeks to foster an environment in which the business of CORRAL runs smoothly. She knows that if all hindrances are removed and all opportunities given, then the hearts of our girls can be transformed so that they may radiate a changed life. Jenn holds a variety of needed skills related to the proper functioning of our business, including administration, marketing, public relations, event planning and fundraising. It’s a big job that requires an even bigger heart, which she certainly has.

  
  
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• Anna Hubbard, Program Assistant

  Anna has enjoyed working with kids of all ages ever since she can remember and, although she does not possess any horse experience, she is passionate about serving adolescents in need. Anna is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in School Counseling at North Carolina Central University. This background has helped her build upon her skills in working with youth and has developed in her a passion to serve at-risk youth. She desires to serve the girls of CORRAL to the best of her ability and to let God use her to help foster lasting change in their lives.

  
  
  
  
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