By Lauren McSherry

Rebecca Ball rides a horse during Westwind Barn’s riding for the handicapped program.

Westwind Barn’s 4-H riding for the handicapped program is in jeopardy.

As a result of this year’s budget deficit, Santa Clara County is considering cutting its financial support for UC-Cooperative Extension programs including 4-H, Master Gardeners and farm outreach.

These programs account for a small portion, $477,458, of the county’s budget, according to a report by the University of California, which pays the majority of the more than $2.23 million, to run Cooperative Extension in Santa Clara County.

Even though $477,458 seems like a negligent amount of money, if the county cuts funding for 4-H, Westwind Barn’s riding for the handicapped program will be lost. This is because the riding program relies on the county for liability insurance for children and volunteers, said Nancy Couperus, a 4-H community leader and founder of Westwind 4-H. The likelihood of finding another insurer or affiliating with a national organization-which would be a considerable cost-is not great, she said.

“I’m hellbent,” Couperus said. “I want to save 4-H. I see it as a real shame when they take these great programs from our kids.”

For 26 years Westwind 4-H riding for the handicapped has provided a horse-riding program for hundreds of children with disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Friedreich’s ataxia, amputation and congenital abnormalities.

Parents from as far away as Los Gatos and Milpitas bring their children to Westwind Barn, Couperus said.

Shaila Sadrozinski’s daughter Priya has attended the riding program for 4 years. Priya’s physical therapist recommended the program for its physical benefits, but the program also gives Priya the chance to socialize and have fun, Sadrozinski said.

Sadrozinski, a Palo Altos resident, says 4-H riding for the handicapped is the only program available to her daughter.

“My daughter had epilepsy and many other disabilities,” Sadrozinski said. “I’m very concerned because it’s one thing she can enjoy. Regular kids have 100 things they can do to have fun.”

The demand for Westwind’s riding program is great. The program can accommodate 15 children. 12 children are on the waiting list and participants are rotated out to give others a chance to take part in the program.

“This is about giving handicapped children a chance to have fun,” Sadrozinski said. “They really don’t have many opportunities.”

The projected budget shortfall for the county is $238 million. Greg Van Wassenhove, the county’s director of agriculture and resource management, proposed cutting cooperative extension to reduce his department’s $9 million budget by $420,000 in response to a request from the County Executive’s Office. Half of the $477,458 that the county spends on Cooperative Extension goes towards rent, since cooperative extension offices are not housed in county-owned buildings.

“If he took a .5% cut across the board, this would spare 4-H,”Couperus said.

4-H and Master Gardeners volunteer hours bring more than $1 million of services to the county.

The decision to cut county funding for 4-H and other UC-Copperative Extension programs will be made by the County Board of Supervisors in June.

For more information, contact Nancy Couperus at 941-4808.