Sam is a severely disabled child who has cerebral palsy. Therapeutic horseback riding not only brings him joy, but it provides an extremely effective therapy.
Sam is 8 years old and wheelchair bound. His muscles are so weak that he cannot support himself and he has minimal use of his hands. Although Sam understands everything that is said to him, he has a great deal of difficulty communicating verbally. Sam has cerebral palsy. He has arrived for his therapeutic horseback riding lesson.
Sam’s physical therapist works with him before his lesson in order to loosen the spasms that lock his limbs. Though his facial muscles do not work very well, his smile is quite clear. The smile becomes bigger and bigger as he is readied for a ride on his favorite horse. Once the riding helmet is placed on his head, Sam’s grin is as big as he can make it.
Sam’s teacher pushes his chair toward the wheelchair mounting ramp and Sam starts to make sounds to show how happy he is. The riding instructor, the physical therapist, and two volunteers who will walk along side the horse accompany the child to the ramp. The volunteer leading the gelding moves the horse into position and the sidewalkers stand next to the horse, ready to assist. When the time finally comes for the instructor and therapist to lift the child gently into the saddle, Sam is ecstatic. He does not seem to care about the muscle spasms that result from being moved, or the time that it takes for his legs to relax enough that his feet can be placed in the stirrups.
Sam doesn’t care, because he is already freed from his wheelchair and sitting proudly in the saddle on top of his favorite horse. When the time has come to move, Sam is obviously excited! He works hard to say the words “walk on,” telling his horse to move forward. He exerts a lot of effort, trying to sit as straight as possible. For Sam, sitting straight is extremely difficult given his poor motor control and the tendency of his muscles to spasm. Still, he does his best.
While on his horse, for thirty minutes, Sam is free of his wheelchair. His body is moving easily in smooth movements, and the natural rhythm of the horse helps to stretch his tight muscles. His leg muscles are exercised with motions that are similar to those used in walking, increasing his flexibility and helping to prevent muscle contractures that would further limit his mobility.
Sam uses his hands as best he can to hold onto the saddle strap, but it is the horse leader and the sidewalkers who make sure that he remains stable in the saddle. The team helps him to play games while he rides. He compares small pictures of horses with larger ones that are posted along the ring until he finds the match. These small successes are huge for Sam.
Near the end of the ride, the instructor asks Sam if he would like to trot. Despite the difficulty that he has communicating, the instructor and volunteers have no trouble hearing him say the word “trot,” as he tells his horse to move faster. Volunteers run alongside Sam and his horse for a short time. Sam makes the sounds that mean he is happy and laughing.
The first and only time that Sam stops smiling is when the instructor tells him that the lesson is finished. Sam leans over to pat his horse to thank him for the ride. There is no doubt in any of our minds that we’ve made Sam’s life much, much brighter this day.
