Recently, I lived in Maine for two years. In 2006, I lived alone on a farm in a small town called Windham, Maine. The name of the farm is Riding to the Top. I have a link to this farm on the bottom right of Journey of the Horse, titled Therapeutic Riding. I was the caretaker of the horses, and I also helped teach the lessons. These lessons are much different than the hunter/jumper lessons I teach today and have taught most of my life. All of the students are handicapped, either physically or mentally. Many of them are paralyzed or have Downs syndrome or severe Attention Deficit Disorder or Hyperactivity issues. We had very safe and well-trained horses that could handle these types of lessons. It is also imperative to be extremely patient and kind during these lessons.
One specific day, I was teaching Tony, a ten year old with Downs syndrome. He was riding a horse named Teddy, who indeed looks like a fuzzy brown teddy bear with giant kind eyes. Tony and I were working on sitting up tall in the saddle and not slouching over, as he tended to do. Tony was slouched over and not smiling very much. I kept reminding him to sit up tall, but he was not concentrating very much. All of a sudden, Tony slides right off of Teddy! Thankfully, we were only walking, and I knew he was not injured. Teddy leans his head down and gently sniffs Tony, who is lying in shock on the ground. Tony looks up at Teddy and lets out a huge smile and laughs hysterically. So, maybe riding didn't made Tony smile, but falling off certainly did. I help Tony back on Teddy, and he is beaming with a giant silly smile. I can not help but smile back. Tony sits up tall and straight as a board for the rest of his lesson.
Sometimes, the healing power of horses comes in small doses. It is not always about jumping high or training a young horse. Often, it is just a gentle nudge from a horse or a feeling of happiness as you connect with these giant beasts. Thanks Tony for reminding me about the simple joy of horseback riding!
