# Therapy with horses for disabled children.



## Guest (Jan 26, 2013)

Hi my 7 year old son is autistic and has ADHD the local autism group arranged for him to go horse riding.
I admit I had reservations I rode a few times on a horse the size of a house which decide to ignore every command , and took me on a wild journey the wrong way down a dual carriageway .
I also believed horses to be extremely sensitive to emotions and tension and my son can be quite intense.
Despite my doubts he went and loved it the horse was great and very calm he came away thoroughly happy , which is rare as he finds communication and expressing his emotions difficult .
Anybody whom has a child or adult with similar conditions I'd reccomended looking into this its well worth it.
He has several more lessons booked his only reservation was his horse stopped in his words for "a rather long poo"  .


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## RachJeremy (Sep 14, 2012)

Horses are amazing with special needs people/children. Where i used to work, done RDA... Well the horses did. We as staff had nothing to do with them. But they'd get the horses and sit on them and have fun. And the horses were always so well behaved! I used to ride one of the RDA ponies for lessons and he was sooo naughty! And i won a Prelim Intro A dressage test on him. So i think they know...


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

I wouldn't base every horse just on your experience of a horse, they're not all that bad. I've volunteered with RDA before and know that they are good trained horses that can accept riders with special needs, although some are different from others. I regularly led an autistic girl on a cleveland bay who was the most kindest mare I've ever met and she coped with everything the girl did. The girl was actually very good balanced rider she just didn't have the mental wherewithall to control the horse and sometimes she'll decide to try and get off without warning. I currently volunteer with carriage driving ponies and we have an autistic lad amongst other various disabled people who has his own way of communicating, and isn't talkative, but you can see he enjoys it and does very well controlling the horse.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

I sometimes have special needs children and adults out driving my ponies. I find it very satisfying and would love to do more. 
It is a real thrill for me when I see someone with a repetitive head nod who has to have someone beside them all the time actually relax and have their head still, or an adult who is steering a pony through cones and turning in whichever direction I tell them to when the carer says it is impossible for him to do that and she can hardly believe what she is seeing. Or the very headshy pony who allows a disabled man to grab his ears.

Horses are just brilliant.


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

RachJeremy said:


> Horses are amazing with special needs people/children. Where i used to work, done RDA... Well the horses did. We as staff had nothing to do with them. But they'd get the horses and sit on them and have fun. And the horses were always so well behaved! I used to ride one of the RDA ponies for lessons and he was sooo naughty! And i won a Prelim Intro A dressage test on him. So i think they know...


I'm sure they do know. The stables I hack out from take a RDA group every week and the ponies are so well behaved but out on a hack, especially in the summer with holiday makers, who assure the stables they have 'been riding for years', they really know how to take the mickey 
A wonderful experience for youngsters with problems from physical to emotional I think :thumbup1: and I'm so glad that your son enjoyed it Nightkeeper


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