For many of us our first encounter with a horse whether it be visual or tactile develops into a state of unconditional love. That is how it was with Justin. He just fell in love with horses and riding. His mother tells me “Justin is at home when he is at the barn he’s relaxed and ready to learn new things, a huge accomplishment for someone with Justin’s disabilities. And like everyone that learns to ride Justin too has fallen off, but he just brushes himself off and gets back on, never blaming the horse for his mistakes.”
Every Saturday rain or shine, summer or winter Justin gets up early to go to the barn to do chores and whatever else is needed of him.
When he turned fourteen Justin was old enough to start volunteering at the barn. Every Saturday rain or shine, summer or winter Justin gets up early to go to the barn to do chores and whatever else is needed of him. Like most mothers of horse loving children Heidi says “I can’t get him to clean his room, but when it comes to horses he doesn’t care what he has to do to help”. Over the years Justin’s riding has improved tremendously and while he has done some showing is was during a lesson on the trail that he discovered his true passion. When Cordula Robinson, a PATH International certified therapeutic riding instructor at Strongwater, decided to start hosting ACTHA events as a way to do something fun with your horse and raise funds for Strongwater, it was Justin who expressed interest in entering the event. If fact he had so much fun he can’t wait for the next one.
When I asked Justin’s mother to describe what riding and being around horses did for her son she stated without hesitation “it makes him happy, not stressed. As a mother, it’s hard to see him struggle and when he rides he just lets everything go and the happiness comes. Because of that we know as his parents, that this is something we have to make sure he can do for as long as he wants”.
As for Justin’s plans for the future, he tells me they are looking at community colleges that have animal science programs. Riding and being around horses has helped him in so many ways over the years. Like many individuals with or without a disability he’s had a tough time in school academically and with bullying, but riding has changed all of that. When he gets on a horse everything else just disappears… and he’s happy.
Is ACTHA proud to be a small part of Justin's life? Oh yeah.
Continued from page 17
ACTHA Monthly | December 2014 | 18
“The Boy Who Loves Horses”
Justin and Timmy on the trail