Years ago, dh and I lived in the country, where we had horses and rode all the time. Here's a photo of dh from those days.
I had known of riding for the handicapped then and, with the help of a friend who teaches at one such facility, had dh evaluated late in 2007. Though there's a long waiting list, dh was able to start this spring, hooray!
Here are a couple of short videos of dh's first lesson at SIRE, which offers certified therapeutic riding and hippotherapy near us.
The physical and emotional benefits of horseback riding have been known for several hundred years. In particular, the horse’s gait replicates the correct position of the human body in a walk, helping retrain movement in the rider's trunk and retraining a senseof balance. At SIRE, certified instructors serve more than 185 clients weekly through programs which include therapeutic riding, carriage driving, vaulting and hippotherapy. Clients report great improvements in gross and fine motor skills, balance and posture. So much more than just sitting on the back of a horse, for the only time in their lives, these children and adults are able to move through space, with a freedom of movement and sense of accomplishment that changes lives.
