Kids in Motion
Horseback Riding in Sandpoint, Idaho is extremely popular. Have your kids every wanted to ride a Hippo? Have they ever wanted therapy? How about combining both and calling it Hippotherapy! Naw, that’s real word that means “therapy using the movement of a horse” to improve the physical abilities of children and adults with special needs. Now my 8 year old son, Alex the Tigerboy, has a special need to have fun, laugh, and enjoy life to the fullest. His is a high functioning autistic that has no idea what hippotherapy is but he knows his horse “Buddy”.
I spent an hour at the indoor riding arena today watching him with stick and lead move his friend “Buddy” in different directions walking and then trotting. Then he removed the lead and rode Buddy round the arena, passing under an obstacle, shooting a ball through a hoop from atop the horse, and even riding by me and shooting at me with a watergun from the saddle. (He was armed by his riding coach Coralee). Everytime I go I have to remind myself that this is therapy and focus on what new skills and motor skills he is using because to a Dad it just looks like an 8 year boy being a cowboy. Read more »
