Ginger Gaffney discusses her book ‘Half Broke’ virtually March 4, to attend register here. Courtesy photo
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
A favorite story of Velarde author Ginger Gaffney involves a skittish, frightened horse and Delancey Street Ranch resident struggling with mental health issues.
The resident, a woman, was in danger of being kicked out of the Delancey Street program, Gaffney said. She was cutting herself, wouldn’t look at anyone or speak. Meanwhile, a horse at the ranch was suffering from over-grown hooves but it refused to let anyone near to trim them.
Gaffney, a horse trainer, thought maybe the woman and the horse would be a good match for each other and suggested the woman try and get near the horse to trim its hooves. It ended up working, the woman was the one person the horse trusted.
“From that point forward, her life changed,” Gaffney said.
Sometimes when a person finds something that they are good at, even if it is a simple thing, it can significantly impact how they view themselves, Gaffney said.
This is just one experience Gaffney captures in her memoir, “Half Broke,” which was published in February 2020 by WW Norton Publisher. The book chronicles a year-and-a-half of the seven years Gaffney spent at the Delancey Street Ranch in Ohkay Owingeh as its horse trainer.
Gaffney will share her story at 7 p.m. March 4 with Mesa Public Library. To attend the session, register HERE.
Gaffney said while she helped heal troubled horses and worked with the Ranch’s residents, she too was positively impacted by the experience. She wanted to share this story with others.
Gaffney has ridden, trained and taught about horses for 25 years. When she moved to New Mexico from North Carolina she made horse training her full-time job. However, in 2017 she also earned a master’s in fine arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe.
She explained while in the master’s program at IAIA, she realized she wanted to write about her experiences at Delancey Street.
“It was such a big moment in my life,” Gaffney said. “…I really saw it change people’s lives. It was crucial that I was helping and changing people’s lives. Writing about it made me hold on to it and not forget about it. It was pivotal.”
She added capturing this experience in her memoir is the best type of writing because it can impact the readers, too.
For Gaffney, her experience at Delancey Street made her confront and throw away her own prejudices and judgements. She explained when she came to Delancey the heroin and opioid crisis was receiving a lot of attention.
This crisis, much like the AIDS epidemic, receives a lot of stigma and those who suffer from addiction are made to feel shameful, she said. Delancey Street reminded her that its residents are human beings.
“It really shows the humanity in the situation,” Gaffney said. “(The residents) are human beings. They are somebody’s daughter, somebody’s son …”
Initially, Gaffney shared her writings about Delancey Street with different magazines. She would submit chapters of her book to different publications. She describes working with WW Norton as a positive experience.
Gaffney said she learned that it was important to have a thick skin and be open to criticism and listen to suggestions on how to improve her work.
“You have to be open and take criticism,” she said.
While writing “Half Broke,” Gaffney said she didn’t really share her writings with her colleagues or the residents at Delancey Street. However, right before the book’s final edit, she let a few people read it.
“They were so amazed at how I captured everybody and what happened,” Gaffney said. “…we laughed a lot. We had lived through a lot. A lot of people wouldn’t have made it through the Delancey program if it wasn’t for the horses.”
Gaffney said she still talks to people from Delancey Street.
“I still have good friends from Delancey that I stay in touch with,” she said.
Several of the horses Gaffney worked with, however, were relocated to Colorado. COVID took a hit on Delancey Street, she said. Its moving services were restarted but the ranch’s business enterprises such as its catering services remain closed, which are a big portion of its revenue.
Gaffney said donations, monetary and items such as clothes, are accepted. To donate, visit Delancey’s website.
Gaffney is working on her second book, which she describes as a mix of fiction and nonfiction. She added she wants to continue writing about the same themes captured in “Half Broke”, which are celebrating humanity and goodness.
Editor’s note: The Los Alamos Library Conversations Series is presenting a virtual reading by Gaffney of her new book “Half Broke” at 7 p.m. March 4, to attend register here.
The book cover of Ginger Gaffney’s book ‘Half Broke’ . Courtesy photo
