My Little Cowboy

Yesterday was our first session back at Freedom Riders, a local therapeutic horseback riding center. This is our second year and last year I really enjoyed watching Brian find something he truly loved to do. There's a lot of benefits that come along with hippotherapy including relaxing tight muscles, building muscle strength, sharpening hand/eye coordiation, gaining a sense of body-awareness, self-control, and self-confidence. But the reason I love it so much is because Brian doesn't have activities that he loves to do. He has trains and movies. And that is about it for interests. I have my other child, Corbin, who I ship to soccer, baseball, football, basketball, cub scouts, birthday parties, playdates, sleepovers, art camp, etc. and it makes me feel guilty, even though I can't do much to change it, that Brian doesn't have activities he is just dying to go do.

I wondered if Brian would love it as much as he did last year. I soon realized I had no reason to worry. He knew what he was there for and he was quick to get his gear on and had no problem leaving me behind to walk into the arena with his helpers for the day.


This is Gene. He's a different horse than Brian had last year but he didn't seem to mind (or notice) the change.

Brian's "I'm so excited I need to squeeze my cheeks and close my eyes" pose.

Riding Gene like a pro!

Sometimes the riders change position to get different input. Last year Brian enjoyed this but now that he has become overly-concerned about things being the "right way" this was more of a struggle for him as he kept fighting his helpers and trying to get back to facing the front.