
Caitlin Gooch
Clip: Special | 1m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Caitlin Gooch is a lifelong equestrian, literacy coach and founder of Saddle Up and Read.
Caitlin Gooch is an equestrian, farmer, author and founder of Saddle Up and Read, a nonprofit program that encourages young people to read through equine activities. She has always been around horses and incorporates them into all aspects of her life, including addressing the literacy gap for children of color. She loves riding and discovering new horseback trails in North Carolina.
Ten to Try is a local public television program presented by PBS NC
The series was produced in partnership with the Great Trails State Coalition for the NC Year of the Trail and with generous support from the SECU Foundation.

Caitlin Gooch
Clip: Special | 1m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Caitlin Gooch is an equestrian, farmer, author and founder of Saddle Up and Read, a nonprofit program that encourages young people to read through equine activities. She has always been around horses and incorporates them into all aspects of her life, including addressing the literacy gap for children of color. She loves riding and discovering new horseback trails in North Carolina.
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[bright upbeat music] - My name is Caitlin Gooch, I'm from Wendell, North Carolina.
I was born and raised on a horse farm, and I've been riding horses since I was three years old.
[bright upbeat music continues] I grew up trail riding and riding Western, and it was a lot of fun, a lot of fellowship, meeting new people.
It is my time away from the busyness of the world and it brings me a lot of peace and joy.
[bright upbeat music continues] Because I started riding at an early age and pretty much my entire life I've been around horses, I really wanted to share that with children to give them that experience, because not everyone is gonna grow up on a horse farm.
Saddle Up and Read is a nonprofit I started in 2016.
Reading and horses are like my two favorite things, so I decided to combine those together, and in hopes of increasing the literacy rates in my community.
[bright upbeat music continues] One of the great things about Longleaf Pine Trail is how accessible it is to most people.
The path was pretty wide, it was smooth.
It's beautiful, you can take your time and ride.
You don't have to worry about hiking up a mountain or anything.
But it's a lot of fun, and I could even see myself bringing my kids out here.
[bright upbeat music continues] Equestrian trails in North Carolina are very needed.
There's a lot of development happening now and we can't always ride on the greenways, so we need designated areas to ride our horses.
[bright upbeat music continues]
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Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipTen to Try is a local public television program presented by PBS NC
The series was produced in partnership with the Great Trails State Coalition for the NC Year of the Trail and with generous support from the SECU Foundation.