A monthlong special report
from Spokesmanreview.com
A monthlong special report
from Spokesmanreview.com
|
There's something about horses. Some children get on a horse for the first time and never want to get off – they get a lifelong case of "pony fever."
That's what happened to Diana Clemons' son Caleb. He wasn't very old when his mom put an English saddle on a western saddle pad, leaving a cushioned spot in front of the saddle for Caleb. She got on and hoisted him aboard.
"He just loved being on that horse, from the very first time," Clemons said. "It was on the horse Caleb first initiated speech. I'd stopped and he said, 'Trot,' and rocked back and forth like kids do when they want something to move forward."
Caleb is autistic, so it was a big surprise for Clemons to hear him attempt to say something.
And it got her thinking: Perhaps other children with disabilities could benefit from riding horses.
Three years ago, Clemons opened Harmony Ranch in Rathdrum with the goal of turning it into a therapeutic riding facility. Today, she's got a few gentle horses, a big indoor riding arena – and a waiting list of children and youths eager for their turn in the saddle.
"It really is amazing, the phenomenal progress we see with some of the children," Clemons said. "They begin riding all hunched over, looking down, dangling here and there – but they rather quickly gain better muscle control, head control, better posture."
As Harmony Ranch grows, Clemons hopes to work with battered women and with teens who have emotional problems stemming from abuse and neglect.
"The emotional benefits to people who have suffered are unfathomable, if you haven't seen it happen," she said. "I strongly believe the community needs to take care of those who are weak and rejected."
She added: "We are not doing 'pony rides.' When people say that, it just makes my hackles stand up. What we do here is truly therapeutic."
Clemons – a classically trained musician with a master's degree in viola performance from the Juilliard School in New York – has completed training by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, making her a certified, registered instructor. Harmony Ranch is also approved by the NARHA.
"Everything we do here is focused on the children and their safety," Clemons said.
It takes at least three people for a child with a disability to ride safely: One person walks next to the horse steadying the rider, and two lead the horse, one on each side.
"The parents are great as side walkers. I mean, there is no way they are going to let their child fall off that horse," Clemons said. "But we could use some more volunteer walkers with actual horse experience."
Therapeutic horseback riding has been around in Europe since the mid-1960s. In 1952, Danish dressage rider Lis Hartel – who was partially paralyzed because of polio – won a silver medal at the Helsinki Olympics. At the time, it was a sensation that Hartel competed successfully in what was considered an all-male sport, and unheard of for someone with a disability to ride a horse. Today, Hartel is widely credited as a pioneer in therapeutic riding.
People with multiple sclerosis or spina bifida or who've lost limbs or experienced traumatic brain injuries are among prime candidates for therapeutic riding, even if they can't walk or stand.
"The movement of your hip when you sit on horse is similar to how you'd move if you were ambulatory and walking. The rhythm helps you feel the right movement," said Barbara Yost, communications coordinator for NARHA. "For people who have lost limbs, they can feel very disempowered in a wheelchair, but on top a horse they can feel large and powerful, and they have a significant amount of freedom."
The emotional bond between rider and horse often surprises people.
Horses "read and understand and react to body language very quickly, and they are excellent at it," said Yost. "Humans, we talk and read, but sometimes we don't see what's really going on. Partnerships between people with special needs and horses can become incredibly deep – the horses sometimes read people much better than we do."
Being in control of a large animal and caring for another creature can have emotional and self-esteem benefits, too, Yost said.
And sometimes getting on a horse is simply just fun.
"Think of it this way: For you to go home and play the piano may not be therapy in a medical sense," Yost said, "but it may be what calms down your life and makes you feel better."
It's a challenge to keep Harmony Ranch afloat financially. Clemons can't bill insurers because the therapy she provides isn't guided by a medical professional, such as a doctor or a physical therapist.
"I haven't made a penny doing this," said Clemons, whose day job is teaching music. "This is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, physically, emotionally, everything."
Caleb, who's 15 today, is a constant inspiration to Clemons.
"I've never seen such joy as when my son is on a horse," said Clemons. "And it's just so wonderful for me to see all the other kids experience the same thing. It makes me so happy that I get to watch it all."
Spokane, Wash., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and the Inland Northwest • ©Copyright 2009, The Spokesman-Review
