Frankly, I haven’t been on a horse since the Lowland Games Donkey derby but that’s between me and my therapist! However it seems that Equine therapy may hold some real benefits for children suffering from epilepsy and autism. The National Ability Centre in Park City is just one of the many places which offer this opportunity.
Their entire approach is centred around the motto ‘If I can do this, I can do anything!’ Often the approach with children with any kind of disability is to protect them from all perceived risks and to tell them there’s things they can’t do. In parents, this is a natural, laudable impulse but it may ultimately prove demoralising for the child.
However with horses that are properly trained and in supervised circumstances, a little risk can prove very therapeutic. Horses are naturally very good with children. They can tell if a child is timid or unsure and provide a non-threatening opportunity to develop empathy skills and expand the degree of physical contact a child is able to tolerate. This is especially crucial in children with ASD who are very isolated from the world around them.
Horses also provide a way of learning clear cause and response. You pull the reins one way, the horse will go that way. People are threatening and confusing to an autistic child because there often is no clear or consistent link between action and response.
For any child, the confidence and joy that comes from being able to master a skill is a bonus but there are physical benefits from horse riding which apply to children with epilepsy and autism. The improvements in core strength, balance and motor co-ordination complement the recreational aspects and the social benefits.
As someone who spent many years working in the care of both adults and children with various learning difficulties I can attest to the visible benefits in communication skills, motor skills and social skills that people get from working with horses. More importantly every individual who was involved in an equine therapy program that I worked with looked forward to their sessions and gained great joy from them.
The downside is that the work is intensive (especially with children with autism who often need one-to-one sessions) so places are often limited but it’s worth checking around your area to find out what’s available.
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