Eight-year-old blind and autistic Jacob just wanted to feel the music. His mom resisted at first, but a nod from this amazing musician made everything ok.

When things are not going well it is extremely difficult as a parent sitting on the side-lines not to jump in and try to get involved. I have learned over time to resist the temptation and let the instructors handle it in their own way. In fact, I have learned many valuable lessons by observing how his instructors work through problems. As someone who was not born with an abundance of patience these lessons have been invaluable to me.

What I have come to believe is that people who work with horses have special skills that translate well into dealing with people with Autism. Horses, even well trained horses, need constant direction, correction, re-focusing, pushing, coaxing, and cajoling. But, all of this needs to be done in a calm and deliberate manner. The trainer must constantly read the horse and make adjustments based on what is working or not working.

This video provides a great example of what I am talking about. Kathleen Emerson talks about how her daughter conquered her challenges with the help of the instructors at Winslow Therapeutic Riding. The key was having the patience to let Hannah work through the process.

Through their patience and persistence the instructors “honored Hannah as a human being and not as a damaged human being”.

The greatest of all of these is Man O’ War. In an article on the Thoroughbred Heritage website, the author Ann Peters she said: –

Man o’War was not just a great racehorse — he became the standard by which all runners have been compared then and ever since…Man o’War’s influence on the breed was profound, and although his male line barely survives through small, dark descendants of In Reality and Relic, his legend as a racehorse and sire will live on.

I put together an illustration to show how all of these stars aligned to make Mr. Chase Rare. To see the image in full size click here.

I have not done much research on his father’s linage so it will be interesting to see if it is as star studded.

I know from working with an organization going through the PATH accreditation process that it is very strenuous and thorough. You can be assured that a program that has met these high standards is a well run organization. There are programs out there that are not affiliated with or accredited by PATH. I am sure some of them are good programs, however, if you have the choice I would choose an organization that has gone through the process of being evaluated and accredited by PATH.

PATH has a tool on their website that you can use to find an accredited center in your area. click this link to go to the PATH website.

The biggest barrier to getting started in therapeutic horseback riding is getting over the fear of the unknown. For most people, especially city folk, horseback riding can be an intimidating sport. There are probably many questions running through your mind. How do I know if the program I am considering is a good one? Is the program safe for my child? Will the people running the program know how to deal with my child’s special needs?

As a parent you may also have concerns about how your child will react to the horses and the environment. A barn is a unique place with many unfamiliar smells and sounds. Add to that the large animals moving around and you can see where anyone, even average kids, could be overwhelmed. For kids with sensory and behavioral problems this is a valid concern.

Another concern for most parents is the costs; after all isn’t horseback riding an expensive sport? You may be wondering how you will be able to afford to pay for equipment, lessons, and all of the other expenses?

One other fear that my may be experiencing is the fear of failure. If you are like me you are probably considering Therapeutic Riding after trying, and failing, at many other activities. The possibility that this type of program will not be a good fit may be preventing you from taking the first step.

The Good News!

The good news is that most Therapeutic Riding programs make it very easy to get started. Most programs have some sort of new rider orientation program that is designed to address any concerns that you have and to make sure that your child makes an easy transition into the program. Most orientations start with a site visit to introduce the child to the idea and start to allow you to gauge how receptive they are to the environment. The site visit also is an opportunity for the program director to get to know your child and to gain an understanding of his/her special needs and goals. Based on this assessment the program director will tailor a program to your child and develop plan to ease your child into the program at their own pace. The transition may take some time, but a good program director has a lot of experience in making sure that the transition is a successful and enjoyable experience.

The other good news is that most programs are non-profit organizations and are designed to make therapy affordable. Most program directors are experienced in dealing with insurance companies, state agencies, and other funding sources to identify any available resources. Most organizations also hold fundraising events, solicit grants, and ask for private donations to help the parent offset some, or all of the costs. Most program directors try very hard to take concerns about cost out of the equation.

Taking the First Step

Overcoming the fear of failure is one of the hardest lessons you have to learn as a parent of an Autistic child. I look at this as one of the many gifts that we receive as we learn to parent our Autistic children. In the end therapeutic riding may not be a good fit for your family. But, in my experience the rewards offset all other concerns and make the effort well worth the risk. If you need proof of this just keep reading my blog. So, don’t let your fears prevent you from taking the first steps and giving therapeutic riding a try.

In my next post I will walk you through the process of finding the right therapeutic riding program.

As I look back on the eight years, I can say without any doubt that horses have had an enormous impact in helping him, and the rest of the family, learn to deal Autism. Over the eight years Aaron has become an advanced horseback rider, but more importantly he has advanced in so many other areas of his life.

We got Aaron involved in horses when he was eight years old as were desperately searching for an activity that was right for him. Aaron had tried soccer and other team sports, but we found that it was such a struggle for him and it created so much stress in our lives that is was hardly worth the effort. He just was not interested in sports and had such difficulty dealing with the social aspects of team sports that we eventually gave up.

I have always had an interest in horses, but growing up I never really had the opportunity to be around them other than the occasional vacation trail rides. I grew up during the urban cowboy craze and I even considered myself a “cowboy” even though I was more the “urban” variety. So when I heard horses made a good activity for kids with Autism I was intrigued, but I had no idea how to get involved. I did some searching around on the internet and found a web page about a therapeutic riding program that was just getting started. The only problem was that the barn offering the program was 45 minutes away from our house. None the less I got in touch with the program director and made an appointment to bring Aaron to the barn to check it out.

Eight years and many, many miles later he is still riding every single week.

Aaron spent most of those years in the therapeutic riding program but eventually he progressed to working with a regular trainer. Just recently we made the big leap and purchased Chase, a horse of our own.

I started this blog to chronicle our adventure as we both learn to be good horse owners. But I also want to use this blog to talk about how our involvement with horses over the years has helped both of us learn to deal with Autism. My hope is that I can help and encourage other parents struggling with Autism to explore horseback riding as a potential activity for their kids. While I am certain it is not for everyone, I also know that there are other kids out there that might have their lives changed if they just had the opportunity to get involved with horses as Aaron did. I know that Aaron would not be where he is today had we not decided to make that 45 minute drive every week so that Aaron could ride horses.