Ahhh...girls and horses. What is with that? I grew up absolutely infatuated with them...learned to draw them first, pretended I was one, pined for one my whole life. Never did get one, and never even got to ride until I was 18...then I took an Equine Technology course in college. Now that was fun!
Now I am passing that love on to my daughter, thanks to a therapeutic riding program...riding for handicapped children. One of the most awesome programs I've come across yet for special needs kids!
Just interacting with the horse can help non verbal children speak a small vocabulary. Increased balance is the first benefit they receive...plus more muscle strength...just to name a couple off the top of my head.
Brittany has only been riding a few weeks, and already shows so much promise...though we are lucky in the fact that she is not developmentally delayed...and has already graduated from the vaulting girth to an english saddle. A vaulting girth looks scarey at first, but is actually more secure for the kids than a saddle. It is simply a large strap like peice of leather that goes around the girth (just behind the front legs and over the back) of the horse with two handles attached. It is placed over a thick saddle blanket, and voila...and instant "handle bars" for a horse...LOL
Brittany on Merrylegs
Merrylegs was Brittany's first mount...an wonderful old gal at 30 years old, she was the quietest, most well mannered pony I've ever seen. An invaluable asset to QUINTRA (the name of her therapeutic riding association), worth her weight in gold, since she was so good with the kids.
I will add more as I learn more!
CLICK ON HORSEHEAD TO RETURN HOME!
