Lisa* felt very cautious of the enormous animals at the horse therapy stable. After all, she was small to begin with and cerebral palsy made it hard for her to feel secure on the horses.
The horse therapy staff worked really hard to get Lisa on the horse safely, but all Lisa could do was lay on the patient horse’s back.
After a couple of trips to the stable, Lisa met Daisy*. Daisy loved riding and riding had helped her defeat a mild limp as well as gain balance as she moved. But more than that, riding the therapy horse was drawing Daisy out of her private autistic world. So when she saw Lisa’s fear, Daisy reached out to her. She encouraged the younger girl to keep trying with the horse. Lisa received the encouragement, and her perseverance paid off.
Now Lisa can sit up as the horse walks around the ring. Since riding strengthened her core muscles, Lisa can walk more upright as well. We welcome the changes therapeutic horse riding brings! .
Names changed*
