For a long time, I’ve been excited about trying hippotherapy with the J-Man, particularly since the horse farm field trip that originally got my hopes up was canceled due to weather last spring. After many months of waiting, our class was going again! Just our luck, it rained the morning of our field trip, which brought forth a long string of flowery language from me as I watched the weather report. But when the teacher told us at school that this farm has a covered riding area, I was all like, It’s on!
I was born in Kentucky, where you grow up at least in the vicinity of horses regardless of where you live or what you do. I’ve been on a horse like once, but I’ve found just being around horses to be calming. Not something I can easily explain. But with all the wonderful experiences I’ve read about or heard people having with therapeutic horseback riding, I have been looking forward to seeing how the J-Man would feel about it.
I confess that a lot of what I brought to this field trip was my own desire to find something the J-Man really loves, which brings with it a certain amount of selfish emotional baggage. I couldn’t help but have in my mind how I wanted his first adventure on a horse to go. It’s really not fair to him to hope for some revelatory experience every time we go do something new together, but I think it’s a natural part of our psyches as parents to feel like that. In a life filled with challenges, we want to help them discover what they love most and then go for it.
I’d call our first horse adventure a pretty good one – not revelatory – and one that we plan to do again. The farm has a good and caring vibe to it, and you can’t help but appreciate what all they do for special needs kids. They have a free event one Saturday a month where families with special needs kids – and siblings too – can come and ride horses and enjoy the farm. The horses almost seem to exude calm from every muscle, or at least that’s what it felt like to me.
The covered riding area was perfect for the rainy, gloomy day outside. Each of the kids took turns riding the horses – with varying degrees of excitement about it. I took the J-Man over to look at the horse he’d be riding (a beautiful, brown and black horse named Max) so he could get used to him while still in my arms. He was noticeably calm while we did this, even petting the horse – with a little nudging from me – without any noise or complaint or any real hesitation. His touch on the horse was slow, caring, and gentle. I would have given anything to know what he was feeling as he did that.
Max is not a very tall horse, which came in very handy. I didn’t measure him, but I’d guess maybe 5 feet and a bit. We chose him both for his calm and his smaller stature because we knew we’d be walking alongside the horse and holding the J-Man up there. He wouldn’t have anything to do with the helmet, so we just flanked him with arms and people.
When it came his turn to get on, he fought it some and protested, but I’ve certainly seen him fight things a whole lot more than that. The first lap around was primarily us trying to reassure him, help him calm down, and for us to not get stepped on by the horse. Just to throw in some humor of his own, Max deftly avoided a pile of manure by changing lanes and nearly pulling me into said pile while I was trying to sing the ‘Calm Down Song’ to the J-Man. (Thanks, Max.)
The second lap was a much different story. We felt his body begin to relax later in that first lap. All the good sensory gifts that horses can give were working their magic. On the second time around, the protests stopped, his face became thoughtful and serene, his back started to ease down into the saddle, and he held on to the pommel of the saddle instead of my arm. One by one, I could feel his little muscles unwind. Meanwhile, my heart was about to jump out of my chest with happiness.
You could tell he was ready to get off by the end of his two times around, and I took him down and gave him the biggest hug I could. And all the parents cheered for him because they know new and unknown things are so hard for him.
We tempted fate again by putting him on Max one more time a few minutes later. I think we didn’t allow the J-Man the necessary decompression time after a big sensory event as he was pretty upset the whole lap around. (We just did one lap this second time.) In hindsight, that was a lot to ask him to do in that time span, but there’s no way to know unless you try.
But, he did it. He stayed on the horse. He began to overcome those fears. He tried something very new and different. Getting on an animal that’s many, many times bigger than you – calm or not – is something I know a lot of neurotypical kids and parents would be too frightened to do themselves. And for that one lap around, he found something that right now only he really knows. But whatever it was, it was clear enough to us to know that we need to return and give it another go.
We plan to go again next month when they have their special Saturday event. Usually with him, the first time of anything stressful is always very difficult, but each successive time gets better. Given the meltdowns we can get just from moving his car seat to a different car, the fact that he didn’t have anywhere near that kind of reaction to the horse I think means something. What it means, though, only time and experience will tell.
For those of us whose kids can’t easily communicate what they love and what they don’t like, how they feel in new situations, or how they experience an event like this, this is largely what we have to do. We look for experiences that are geared to be affirming to our children and their needs, we go give it a try, and we see what happens.
[Continue on to see all the pictures!]
Not so much on the horse thing yet… but hey, he’s on!
Get me off this crazy thing!
He’s hanging in there! (or holding on for dear life!)
Oh! Maybe, just maybe…
Sitting almost like a little jockey. Notice how he’s sitting relaxed and holding on to the saddle instead of us!
Here’s he’s getting closer to looking like John Wayne leaning back in the saddle and striding confidently into town or something. Yay!
So, do you feel lucky, punk? 
And the victory hug! Yay, J-Man!
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
This warms my heart. Such a victory and such a visible change as he relaxed. Great pictures! I wish there were something in my area for my son, Nik. Alas, the nearest place is more than an hour away and charges $$$. *sigh*
The pictures do an amazing job of illustrating his comfort and transition through out the activity.
We’ve done hippotherapy for three years and it’s always an awesome experience. Kayla’s gross motor skills improved immediately, and she is always just so calm and content riding. Can’t wait to start up again in the spring!
Way to go J-Man!!!
What an amazing experience! I find it hard sometimes to try new things because you never know how it is going to go. But usually I’m pleasantly surprised. Go J-Man!! He’ll never cease to amaze you
Those pictures are so great. What a triumph. Go J-man! He looks so adorable and relaxed in that last picture.
Yep, horses are like that – well, the non-racing breeds. And donkeys, too, though they add a sardonic twist to it.
There’s another resource that may be available in your city that probably wouldn’t be thought of as a resource. (I say “May Be,” as there could be permission/legal/access/liability issues.
The last time I was at the Reno, NV. Animal shelter (it’s quite new) – they had a room that was the residence of all the elder and sick cats that were un-adoptable for various medical reasons. It was filled with pillows and awaited anyone who wanted to drop in and enjoy a kittypile.
At any rate, your local animal shelter is an affordable option for families who might not be able to afford (or, for that matter, even find) a horse ranch, and they are always, always always looking for volunteers.
Of course, you do run the risk of bringing something home with you. Something furry.
@everybody – Thank you for all of your thoughtful comments. We’ve been behind on everything around here for the past several weeks. I think I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. (and, no, it’s not a train!) We all have our rough patches, as I’m sure many of you are well aware. We’ve been reading everyone’s comments and appreciating them even if we’ve been terrible about responding.
We ended up not going back to the horse farm for their open house day in October. A bunch of things came up, people were sick, and physically and mentally we were on the ragged edge. I’ll be out of town the Saturday they’re holding it this month. (My one work trip a year.) So maybe December we’ll go if the weather is good. The advantage of living here is that you can still do things most of the winter!
Graphictruth – That’s a brilliant idea! I wonder whether it would break too many policies to try to get our pre-K autism class to go to a shelter.
(Our teachers read our blog; we’ll see about the kind of reaction I get at school!) I think ‘kittypile’ would rank up there in the ultimate in sensory activities!
I grew up in horse country but frankly know little about them. I am glad, though, that various people have taught me to appreciate the beauty of a horse (physical, personality, etc.) even if I couldn’t tell one breed from another.
This particular horse farm is more affordable than I imagined all that would cost. One ‘lesson’, which I think is almost an hour, is about the same as the price of a meal in an average sit-down restaurant. Since we’ve long since given up going out to eat, maybe we’ve saved up enough money to go see the horses some if he grows to like them.
We already have two cats. One is very old; the other is now technically a ‘senior’ cat, but she’s always in to everything. The J-Man doesn’t much notice them, but we had some territorial issues with the younger cat and the kids that still aren’t quite resolved. I’m not sure our house is a great environment for cats or any animals. We can barely take care of ourselves it seems like.
I can say all that, but I know that resistance is largely futile for me when it comes to the adorableness of furry animals in shelters. There’s a lot to be said, though, for being able to spend time with adorable creatures and not have to bring them home. That’s what the grandparents say about all the grandkids in our family.
Thanks for your suggestion!
Was this more like a riding class, or one of those state fair “pony go rounds?” I’ve been slightly twitchy about “hippotherapy” because a horse is a very large animal inclined to do unhappy things if startled or irritated by someone flopping around on top of them.
Rena – I had the same hesitation. As you can tell from the pictures, his teacher and I were holding him on and the nice lady leading the horse is one of the owners of the farm. This was done in a large, indoor riding arena, I’d guesstimate about half the size of a football field. We walked around the perimeter of the arena at about an average slow walking pace for people.
This was more of a class field trip to try it out and see what it’s like. They do offer sessions that are more hippotherapy and some that are more traditional riding lessons, though the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
The horse he rode on was quite old and extremely calm. Horses who do hippotherapy with kids are chosen because they can remain relaxed even with children going wild on their backs. The person leading the horse has some level of control of things, and the horse’s familiarity with the farm staff helps them too. But a lot of these horses wouldn’t be fazed even if a full marching band went by.
The main thing I had to keep in mind was that walking sideways beside the horse while steadying the J-Man meant I had to watch where my feet were going so the horse didn’t step on me. Not like he could see my feet. The idea is that you won’t have to do this as your child gets more comfortable, but at first it’s a bit interesting.
I’d recommend everyone give it a try. Horses are often incredibly kind and loving, and many have quite a fun sense of humor. The gentle bouncing motion while they’re riding can be so soothing for children. It might not be for every child, but many kids with autism and/or sensory issues get a lot of wonderful benefits from it.
If you decide to try it out, let us know how it goes.