For more than ten years, Casey and Rob took horseback riding therapy to help with their autism. Honestly, I doubted Casey would even get on the horse as she was terrified of most animals at that time. I knew Rob would jump on (and prayed he wouldn’t jump off – he was still in full dare devil mode when they started!) with no problem.
I talked to the couple who ran the program and was told to bring them both up and see what happens. It has been proven that just spending time with the horses eases anxiety and gives the person a sense of calm and self – confidence. Imagine my shock when Casey climbed onto her horse without a second thought! They both had to wear helmets as they rode and again, I thought that might be a problem, but their excitement was greater than their sensory issues and the helmets were no problem.
Volunteers walk beside the horse (or one on each side, depending on the rider’s ability and strength to stay safe in the saddle) and another leads the horse. Once the rider becomes more advanced, they may choose to guide their horse themselves. Casey and Rob just wanted to ride and showed no interest in guiding their horse. At first, they just rode around the ring and enjoyed the experience. Their smiles and giggles were amazing!
After they got used to riding, they started the riding “therapy” part for them. For some, just being on the horse is enough – it strengthens the core and relaxes taut muscles. For others, taking care of the horse, such as brushing and feeding were what they needed. (Casey and Rob did brush their horses, at times, but rarely fed – I think they were intimidated by the teeth! 🙂 ) Their riding therapy was actually a series of games to be done on horseback.
They shot basketballs, threw bean bags, tossed rings and stretched up to ring bells or put rings on hooks. All of this just sounds like fun, doesn’t it? But really, it required a lot of effort for them. They learned to shoot baskets from each side of the basketball pole and in front of it, with right hand, left hand and both hands. They learned which hand was right and which was left. (I am still amazed at how quickly they learned this on the horse but still can’t do it standing in the house!) They had to stretch and cross over mid-line (something that is really hard for some people with autism to do!) to shoot the baskets from different angles. And they were good at it. Rob could nail those baskets without really looking and took all of the praise in stride.
For the bean bag toss, the board had different shapes got out and the hole for each shape was a different color. They had to listen to instructions to hear which color or shape to throw the bean bag into. It really does sound simple, but for people with language processing problems, it’s a difficult thing. They had to think about holding onto the horse, listen for which hand to hold the bean bag in and then which hole to toss at. Then the physical part – to get their minds to follow each step of holding on, holding it in the specific hand and then aim at the shape. And not lose their balance when they threw the bean bag. It takes a lot of work – and they loved it!
I also learned that while on horseback, it was easier for them to communicate. As we walked, we practiced their addresses and phone numbers. We did math problems and spelling words. We named the months of the year and days of the week. I am not saying they talked as you and I do, but they could answer simple questions with less of a struggle. Rob liked to name states, so we did that. Anything I could think of, we did.
When she was 3 or so, my niece, who has cerebral palsy, also joined our group. For her, we had a special belt she wore and there were people walking on both sides to hold her. It helped relax her muscles and also start to build that core strength she needed. Honestly, I can’t think of any disability that riding therapy wouldn’t help in some way. Our group had traumatic brain injuries, autism, CP, spina bifida, stroke victims and many others. Some came in wheelchairs and we lifted them onto the horse and held them much like we did my niece. The smiles – the laughs….. it still brings me joy to think about it.
During nice weather, we rode outside in the yard. We had costume parties at Halloween and graduation parties in the spring. Beyond the therapeutic benefits for Casey and Rob, there were social benefits, too, that were just as important. When we went to therapy, it didn’t matter if Casey looked at socks or Rob squealed. They fit right in with the group and I had a chance to make new friends, too. And, come fair time (our county fair is a big event in our town and many kids participate in one way or another), our group was part of the horse show! The kids got to show off what they had been working on and got trophies in front of the crowd, just like everyone else.
After many years, I noticed that Casey and Rob didn’t seem to care as much whether we went to therapy or not. Casey was going as much for having a snack as anything else and Rob was getting loud as he rode. It was also hard to find someone to go with me (I needed someone to walk beside each of them) and I had developed a terrible allergy to horses. Nothing I took helped and I had a hard time driving home after a few sessions, due to major allergy attacks. I made the tough decision to take a break from it and see if they really missed it.
While Casey did ask about it, I knew it was more because it was her schedule than she really wanted to go. They went two times a month for 12 years (we took winters off) and the results were amazing! I wish every family had an opportunity to try this with their loved one with autism or other special needs. There are so many benefits and it affects everyone differently. Unfortunately, finding horseback riding therapy isn’t easy, but if you have a chance to try it, I highly recommend it. You never know what will happen until you try!