Center rebuilds hope through horsemanship
Upper Freehold nonprofit caters to area youth
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Alecia Chris stands among some of the horses in the stable at HP Precision, a horse rehabilitation and youth center in Upper Freehold Township.

It’s where God’s love heals horses and at-risk youths.That is the motto of His Perfect (HP) Precision Rebuilding Center Inc., a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization located on Provinceline Road in Upper Freehold. Its founder, Alecia Chris, wants to give second chances to injured, sick or older horses, and to provide struggling teens with tools to mold and improve their lives.

Chris, 27, is a former competitive rider who now devotes herself to rehabilitating injured horses, she said, and helping troubled teens by creating a supportive environment for them where they can become “confident, productive, sound and satisfied.” The principles of horsemanship, according to the organization’s Web site, will convey responsible practices as young women and men face difficult moments in their lives and development.

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Kristy Schreiber checks Jacob’s horseshoes at the HP Precision horse rehabilitation and youth center in Upper Freehold Township on Sept. 9.

Chris founded HP Precision five years ago. She had been in the midst of a personal crisis while engaged in her first horse-rehabilitation project. She said she made a deal with God, promising that if given the opportunity, she would do great work.

Chris decided to call her facility His Perfect Precision and Rebuilding Center because, she said, a person “has to tear things down that are wrong and rebuild to make it better.”

While the program has a Christian emphasis, according to Chris, it is nondenominational.

“I try to give kids a strong moral base,” she said.

Chris said her program works with counselors for teens who are facing tough life issues, such as eating disorders, truancy, and drug and behavioral problems. There are also many average kids facing peer pressure who want riding lessons, she said.

Chris said that “horses mirror us,” and that kids in camp are carefully paired with horses.

“If a child needs patience,” she explained, “they will be paired with a horse they need [to have] patience with.

“If they need assertiveness” she said, “they’re paired with a horse who needs a strong leader.”

HP Precision’s mission, according to Chris, is “to immerse students in a new learning environment that will give them a sound foundational structure by which to live, through rehabilitating and strengthening horses that need another chance.”

In an effort to give as many students as possible the opportunity to participate in the program, Chris arranges transportation to the center from Allentown High School in addition to high schools in Jackson, New Egypt, Bordentown, Columbus and Trenton.

During the program, students participate in both an hour of self-improvement exercises and an hour of horsemanship and riding.

This year, 111 students — predominantly girls — participated in the center’s riding lessons, summer camp and other activities, which included horse expos and field trips to the N.J. Equine Clinic, located in the Clarksburg section of Millstone.

Chris said most of her students range in age from 13-18, with the youngest being around 7 years old. She also offers adult riding lessons.

On Saturdays, the center offers horse-management clinics to the public.

The 91-acre property had no electricity when she moved in and was in need of repair. While work still remains to be done, the center is now home to 17 horses, many of which are available for adoption.

Horses currently up for adoption include Lacey, an Arabian mare in her late 20s who was abandoned in Jobstown, Burlington County, and Babe, an Arabian/saddlebred cross who was formerly a broodmare. Another former broodmare, Mistrely, is a thoroughbred who was donated by the nearby Walnford Stud thoroughbred breeding farm. Mistrely is training for a new career as a riding horse and will also be available for adoption.

Chris said potential adopters must work with an animal several times prior to an adoption to make sure they are a good match. Adoption fees for ridable horses are $1,000, and less for those who may only be companion animals. Any adopted horse must be returned to HP Precision if the adopter can no longer keep it.

Sponsorships for horses in rehabilitation are available, and if a suitable match is made, they include the first right to adopt. A monthly sponsorship of $400 covers all horse expenses. Sponsorships for smaller increments per month are also available to cover partial expenses.

Chris said that 92 percent of funding comes from private donations, which the center tries to utilize as best as it can. An indoor arena is on Chris’ wish list, as she hopes to eventually be able to operate the facility in all kinds of weather.

HP Precision has planned its next big event for Oct. 29, when it will hold its five-year anniversary party, which is open to the general public.

For more information on programs or to volunteer, call HP Precision at (609) 752-0381.