Therapeutic Riding Changing the Lives of the Disabled
the problem:
The lack of proper ways to educate and influence disabled people, especially children. Therapeutic riding encompases multiple aspects of therapy for any physical or mental disability. From blindness to multiple sclerosis to autism and downs syndrome, riding a horse can teach so much. Balance, coordination, strength, confidence, cause and effect, action and reaction, reading, colors, counting, listening skills, following directions, trusting humans and animals, self-acceptance, and adjusting to a new and sometimes scary situation are all things that can be learned from riding a horse. Not enough disabled children or adults are given the opportunity to shine and succeed, and that needs to change. I plan to open therapeutic riding centers in more rural areas where less opportunities are available. Small towns don't have the same options as larger areas for therapy. A lot of driving is required to go to doctors, phsyical therapists, nutritionists, etc. and having a form of physical therapy closer will allow more kids and adults to be taught, allowing more progress in the independence of physically and mentally challenged individuals.
vital stats:
people impacted:
50people involved:
30why it's important:
We "normal" people have every opportunity in the world to do whatever we want. We can drive a car, we can go to a gym, we can walk around the mall with friends, we can go swimming on a family vacation. More importantly, we can rely on ourselves for care, food, and survival. Many people with disabilities have to completely rely on other people to take care of them in every aspect of their lives. If they are given the opportunity to learn to be independent, to have the strenght the walk themselves to the bathroom or the coordination to make themselves a sandwich for lunch, they are more likely to try other, more difficult, things and be even closer to being able to do the things we all take for granted every day.
the plan of action:
First I plan to go to college to major in equine science, physical therapy, and business management, during which time I also plan to become a certified therapeutic riding instructor, going through the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). I then plan to open a NARHA-Certified therapeutic riding center in my home town of Dayton, Nevada. From there I plan to open more centers in other small, rural areas that don't have much to offer for disabled people. Volunteering at Kids & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center has given me so much happiness, but I want to be able to help even more people in other areas too. In small towns especially, those struggling with these types of obstacles are often put out by the high amount of driving involved with receiving therapy.
how you can get involved:
Others can help by simply doing something, even it seems like a small something. Something as simple as donating $15 to a non-profit, NARHA-Certified center can buy a bale of hay to feed the therapy horses. Anything can help. Even more so, get involved. Volunteering at a therapeutic riding center DOES NOT require any knowlege of horses! The different aspects of the lesson require different things. Side walking with a student is when a volunteer walks along the side of the horse, assisting the student in any way needed. A side walker's focus is completely on the student, not the horse. There is also the position of horse handler, where the volunteer leads the horse through the lesson. Going through obstacles, stoping, backing, going forward, trotting, and reading the horse's attitude before and during the lesson to make sure the horse is physically and mentally ready for the lesson are VERY important.But, to volunteer you don't have to be anywhere near the horse. If you would rather do things in the barn to help rather than be with the horse, that's fine too. Things like sweeping, cleaning tack (saddles, brushes, etc.), cleaning the bathroom, re-organizing toy shelves, setting up obstacles in the arena, anything to help the instructors and students is greatly appreciated. You can go to NARHA.org to find out more about volunteering and to find a therapeutic riding center near you.
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