About Driving Magic
Driving Magic, Inc. is a 501(c)(3)non-profit which provides therapeutic and recreational carriage driving for children and adults with developmental and/or physical disabilities. We opened in 2004 with a donated draft horse, a borrowed cart and harness, and a young adult student whose family believed in the benefits of this type of equine-assisted activity and who trusted our business plan (this student still attends lessons on Sundays). While therapeutic carriage driving delivers such benefits as improved muscle tone, balance, posture and coordination, enhanced cognitive skills such as sequencing, spatial, environmental and directional awareness and improved motor planning, I believe it’s the freedom, empowerment, and confidence experienced by our students that makes the difference. Traversing Steadfast Farms to feel the wind, listen to the trees and frogs, stop to smell and taste the nectar on “honeysuckle row,” click to the clip-clop of hooves on the driveway and feel the cadence of the horse as it moves in walk and trot, touches students and volunteers alike. And yes, speed, the natural speed of a horse-drawn carriage, is appealing to many of our students; especially for those whose disability so severely impacts their ability to experience the world around them.
Who Can Benefit
"She has Autism, there’s NO WAY she’ll put on a helmet. There’s nothing much you can do for him; he’s too severe. He’ll never learn to drive, so what’s the benefit? He’s scared of horses. She can’t see, how can she steer a carriage? I’m just not sure she’ll do it; she’s tried sports in school and just doesn’t have the confidence for it. She can’t use her upper body, how will she drive a horse?"
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