Horse Therapy Making Great Strides with Autistic Children by Lisa Sapino
Andrew and Austin get ready to go for a ride .
everyone around them . The horse instinctively “ knows ” what the child needs . The child and the horse “ team up ” and healing happens for both parties . Not only are the autistic clients and their families helped , but the “ helping ” continues on with everyone affiliated with the program .
Nick , a teen who was “ floundering ,” as he freely admits , was dropped off by his mother one day . “ You need to learn how to help people ,” she said , and shooed him out of the car . Nick says , “ This program here has saved my life .” He had felt aimless and lost . He had no goals , no idea what he wanted out of life . Nick is a “ Barn Brat ” and helps with the therapy classes . He tacks up ( puts the saddles and bridles on the horses ) and leads the therapy horses out of the barn and into the ring .
Through his time at the ranch , Nick has bonded with a beautiful young mare named Bella who came to Tammy as an untrained , insecure horse — very similar to the children helped at the ranch . She was very
The horse instinctively “ knows ” what the child needs . The child and the horse “ team up ” and healing happens for both parties .
“ green .” Once Bella met Nick , she changed . Bella allows herself to be handled and led by her halter , and behaves beautifully for Nick when ridden . “ Bella was quite a handful before ,” Tammy says . Like Nick , Bella was an undisciplined , spirited teenager .
As Nick ’ s relationship with Bella grew , something blossomed in him , too . He fell in love with Bella and became more sure of himself . “ I ’ ve found what I want to do with my life ,” he says , and his mother couldn ’ t be happier . She agrees that vision and purpose changed Nick ’ s life . “ It ’ s not just Nick ’ s work with the horses , but his work with the kids that made such a difference ,” she said . Nick has been able to “ get outside himself ” and care for the riders whose needs are so great . His focus is off his own troubles , and on them . It ’ s freed him .
“ The kids we ’ re here to help — they help us more than we help them ,” says Tammy Farris . “ We learn so much from them .”
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