WILLIAM

William has been riding horses for 2 ½ years with Terry, and the difference that this therapy has made for him in this short amount of time has been truly miraculous.  A child like William, given his degenerative neuromuscular disease and inability to walk, was told to never expect to ever be able to get stronger.  Since his diagnosis of SMA at age one, the effort he has made each week with all of his various physical therapies has just been done to ward off getting weaker.  To maintain strength he already has.  When he started riding at age 4 ½, William found that just the effort to spread his legs and sit up on a horse was difficult.  He needed lots of support from Terry and her team to not fall off the horse.  Slowly though, with confidence and surprising strength, William was able to balance and move on the horse independently.  He used to struggle just to sit on a floor without falling over, and the strength that his riding has given him in his trunk means that he can sit independently on a floor without using his hands or pillows to support him.  This has helped him in the bath, in his wheelchair, in all his activities at school, and especially at times of respiratory infection when his cough has even become more effective due to his increased upper body strength. It is so obvious to us, that the benefits of therapeutic riding have made a little boy stronger against the odds, and we are blessed to have Terry and her crew in our son’s life. 

 ―  Heidi Johnson ―

AZARIA

Azaria started therapeutic riding therapy at Greenwood Farm in October, 2005 at the age of 4 and since then has accomplished many firsts.  She is potty trained.  She can peddle a bike with training wheels, and she can write the letter A the correct way.  This summer she finally has the confidence to be independent in the water and is floating around and learning to swim.  She continues to increase her vocabulary and can sing the words to songs like the "ABC's" and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  Her favorite game to play on the horse is hide and seek.  She rides with pride, confidence and a big smile.

 ―  Shelley Barnes ―
 

PATRICK

                      

When I asked my son, Patrick, 4 1/2, what he likes about horseback riding, he came up with a long list.  He said, "I like Duncan (the horse) and I like Terry."  When talking about Terry, he said, "She's so nice to me.  She plays games with me."  Some of his favorite games on the horse are "playing catch, hitting the ball with a paddle" and "hunting for bunnies."  He also added, "I like to ride frontwards.  I like to steer the horse different ways."

Since starting with Terry at Greenwood Farm in September, Patrick has not only had a lot of fun learning to ride a horse, he has also made significant gains in his motor skills.  His overall strength and balance have greatly improved, allowing him to write his name and other letters as well as keep up with his peers on the playground.  He has gradually become more talkative while on the horse.  I am thrilled with his experience at Greenwood Farm.  Although Patrick does not view his fun on the horse as therapy, the results have been outstanding!

 ―  Laura Brady ―
 

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