Luther Family Extreme Home Makeover: About Therapeutic Riding

January 21, 2008

If you missed ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition episode featuring the Luther family and their Freedom Hills therapeutic riding facility that aired last night, you can watch it online for free at ABC’s website.

I had a last minute night out with some friends, so the episode is waiting for me on the DVR. Hopefully I’ll get to watch it very soon!

If you are here because you already saw it, I’m really hoping you learned a little something about therapeutic riding. If you know someone who is disabled, let them know that such programs exist and encourage them to get involved. If you are interested in learning more and possibly volunteering, here’s a basic overview and some resources.

First off, you need to know that there is a difference between hippotherapy and therapeutic riding. Hippotherapy is performed by a licensed physical therapist and has very specific physical tasks and goals. It is very expensive, like any therapy, and is sometimes covered by medical insurance. Therapeutic riding on the other hand is more like riding lessons for physically and mentally disabled as well as kids and adults with behavioral or emotional issues. Cost is significantly less, and most centers make it available through sponsorship if families can’t afford to pay.

Riding horses improves circulation, muscle strength, and range of movement in the legs, increases core strength, improves coordination, encourages focus and connection, and is a whole lot of fun! Kids and adults who cannot walk without assistance, or are even wheelchair bound, can get on a horse and move without a care in the world. You can put them up on a horse and not even know there is anything wrong with their bodies. I’ve seen autistic students who are not verbal learn to repeat words like “walk on” and “whoa,” and begin to connect those words with what happens when they are used.

I have a friend with cerebral palsy who rode when he was young and learned to strengthen his legs and core through riding–and he’s been able to keep those muscles strong since.

MiKael, from over at her Rising Rainbow blog about Arabian Horses commented about her family’s experience saying, “We did lots of work with riding here when my daughter was recovering from brain cancer and it’s complications. Horses are why she is alive today.”

Horses are creatures created to connect with humans. Relationships with horses encourage trust, connection, respect, and love. They are amazingly understanding and effective therapists.

Therapeutic riding also provides a great way for anybody–with or without horse experience–to get involved and make a significant difference in the lives of other people. I used to teach riding lessons at my home stable and had a few students with cerebral palsy. They were the most fulfilling to teach because they seemed to enjoy it the most and it made the biggest difference in their lives. They were some special little kids. Now, I’ve been volunteering at Pegasus Farm therapeutic riding facility for almost five months. We clean stalls, groom and tack the horses, and lead and sidewalk with the students in their lessons. Nothing in my entire week beats those hours working with the students.

For more of my experiences at Pegasus and changes I’ve seen in our students, see some of my earlier posts:

• Huge benefits of therapeutic riding
• Therapeutic riding for flexibility and confidence
• Working with obstinate students and riding breakthroughs
• A volunteer gets a chance to instruct and one student’s major improvements
• Autistic student shows significant improvement
• Extreme Home Makeover Therapeutic Riding Edition

Therapeutic Riding Resources

• North American Riding for the Handicapped Association: NARHA is the governing body in for therapeutic riding. They provide training and certification for instructors and facilities as well as various resources. Visit their site to learn more or to find a certified instructor or accredited facility in your area (select your state and click go for all premiere accredited facilities and registered instructors).
• Therapeutic riding articles on Equisearch.com
• U.S. Equestrian Paralympics news
• Official FEI Para-Equestrian Site

Posted in Jackie's Thoughts, Making a Difference, Recommendations, Therapeutic Riding