Horse Magic

Written by Mont A. Kuykendall

Harnessing Excitement For Physical Therapy Through Horsemanship

There’s magic in the woods of St. Charles County. Horse magic. For thousands of years horses have worked beside man pulling his wagons, helping to plow and harvest the land, and carrying him into battle. Man’s relationship with the horse has always been – magical. Surrounded by the rolling, wooded hills of Wentzville, the caring people at Therapeutic Horsemanship (TH) have been working hard for over thirty-three years to further the role that horses can play in the betterment of man, and to keep the magic alive.

Established in 1975 to provide equine assisted therapy programs for individuals with disabilities, TH is a non-profit organization that services St. Charles and surrounding counties, the St. Louis Metro area, and several counties in Illinois. Although there are other riding organizations in the area, TH has the largest, most comprehensive program for supporting the needs of people with a variety of disabilities through horsemanship, and is the premier facility in Missouri that is accredited by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA).                                    

 Several of the programs available at TH include Hippotherapy, which emphasizes physical, occupational and speech therapies, Sports Riding aimed at helping the rider become independent and Equine Experiential Learning, which focuses on psychotherapy. They also have the Gaitway riding class, which provides lessons to anyone who wants to learn the skills of riding a horse. The physical benefits of riding are based primarily on the movements of the horse. The motion of the horse is transferred to the rider, simulating the pelvic movements of a person walking back and forth, side-to-side and rotationally. This repetitive motion helps improve the person’s balance, coordination, strength and muscle tone and can also be used for low-level cardiovascular conditioning.

Lynn Courier, Interim Executive Director, discusses the growth of the organization. “We started with only five riders in 1975 and now have between 220-250.  We have also increased our herd to 30 full-time program horses to better serve our clients,” Lynn says. “TH leased space for almost thirty years and by opening the state-of-the-art facility in the summer of 2003, the organization began the shift from the past into the future.”  The facility she refers to is located on a sprawling ninety-acre ranch. The main building, or “barn”, houses the TH offices, provides rooms for volunteer activities, horse stalls and an Olympic size indoor riding arena.  There is also an outdoor riding arena and several trails, which are utilized when the weather permits.

“With the rapid growth in technology,” commented Courier, “one of the priorities at TH this year has been to re-evaluate our current technology and determine how we can improve, upgrade and incorporate changes that will benefit our clients and continue to move us into the future. By improving our efficiency, we will improve the services we provide.”  

The benefits that TH can provide are personal ones to Crista Gentilini. As a mother of two children, a boy and a girl, both of whom were diagnosed early with autism, the environment at TH is invaluable in providing the hands-on therapy needed to improve their quality of life. Both children have very different requirements and physical limitations. Nick, age 9, has been riding at TH since he was around 5 years old. “He is always excited about riding the horses,” comments Crista as we watch the children prepare for their riding session. “Nick is involved in the Hippo program, but is also taking the classes to improve his confidence.” Since starting at TH, Nick’s physical condition has improved to the point where he enjoys playing soccer, and other activities. But, it’s the emotional tie to the horses that is making a difference in Nick’s life. “Riding has a calming effect on Nick,” confides his mother. “Where before he would have trouble communicating with others, and staying focused, now he goes days without getting as wound up.”

Crista’s daughter, Reece, a 7 year old, has also been a rider at TH since preschool. She moves around with the assistance of her working dog, Murray, while getting outfitted for her ride. In addition to autism, Reece has a variety of physical ailments including severe conditions with her kidneys, heart and spine — making her therapy complex. The emotional treatment that Reece receives from interacting with the horses is evidenced by her smiles as she prepares to mount her horse, Skippy. She seems outgoing and talkative, a big change according to her Mother. “Reece didn’t talk for a long time. We finally got her a little kitten, and shortly after that she began communicating.”  Reece receives therapy that is aimed at developing core strength, while working on coordination and balance. “She has improved dramatically since entering the program.” Crista offers. “The motivation of riding the horses has made all of the difference in her physical therapy.”

That improvement is easy to see as we watch the riding session. Therapy at TH is conducted with a 4-to-1 ratio. Each rider is accompanied at all times by a Licensed Therapist, and at least three well-trained volunteers. Attention to the needs of students is foremost as the different movements  are conducted. I am not sure what I expected, but simple riding was soon replaced by a number of activities that bordered, to untrained eyes, on stunt riding. Passing a ball from side-to-side while riding, clapping hands, and placing stars on a pole while in motion were a few of the activities that culminated in standing up in the saddle – very impressive considering the physical realities facing the children. Although elements of the therapy were geared toward improving the range of motion, and the strength of the rider, for me, the resulting smiles on the faces of the kids made the biggest impression, and mark the reason for TH’s successful programs.

Catching up to the Gentilini family following their workout routine, I approached Nick who was still grinning from ear-to-ear as he helped groom his horse, Champ. “My favorite thing is riding the horses,” he offers. “I also miss riding Allie,” he murmurs quietly.  When I asked who Allie is, his mother answered, “His first horse. He was the first rider that Allie had, and he helped to train her for other riders.”  Now that Nick has progressed to more advanced activities, like developmental vaulting, his mount has changed. Though several years have passed since Nick and Allie have ridden together, the emotional bond between the boy and his horse still exists — magic.

“Its all about the motivation,” says Sheila Meyer, a certified riding instructor Therapeutic Horsemanship’s Equine Manager. “The sterile environment of some physical therapy programs fails to generate any level of excitement or motivation. We find that by utilizing the horses in a physical therapy program, clients are much more excited about the prospect of exercising.” When asked about the type of horses that TH looks for, Meyer replied, “All of our horses are chosen based on a variety of traits. But all need to respond to training, taking cues, and need to be very aware and responsive. It really comes down to the horse’s disposition,” she concluded.

It’s important to realize that the programs at TH are just as beneficial to the horses as they are to the people.  In 2006, a tragedy on I-44 resulted in the overturning of a truck transporting a number of horses to slaughter. “TH recently adopted two of the horses involved after they were rehabilitated at Longmeadow Rescue Ranch,” said Diane Saale, Interim Director of Development.  “One of them is now working as a full-time program horse and the other is very close to being ready, which is a wonderful ending to what could have been a sad story.” It was sad to learn that so many useful animals are being destroyed. “It would be wonderful if more of these horses could be donated to therapeutic horsemanship programs instead of having them destroyed,” Saale said, “Its great to see them get a new lease on life, while giving so much back.”

You may be asking, who qualifies for the programs at TH? According to Melanie Woods, a certified occupational therapist  with a Masters Degree in the field, “Over 85 percent of the people requiring a physical therapy program can benefit from therapeutic horsemanship. Of those,” she continues, “over 95 percent of them reach their therapeutic goals, and 100 percent of them show marked improvement. Anyone who is referred to us is reviewed by our certified therapists before starting, so that an optimal program can be tailored specifically for each of our clients.” She was also quick to point out the dramatic difference that motivation makes on the progress of any participant.

Therapeutic Horsemanship programs are at the International level too. “Recently the TH Program Director Sandy Rafferty was chosen to serve as a steward for the Paralympics in Beijing, China” Courier said. “She was the only person chosen from the US to participate, and one of only 30 stewards selected to support the dressage portion of the games. And,” she continued, “we recently were approached by a Sunday school class learning about a therapeutic riding program in Israel. The class wanted to make the connection locally, so they contacted TH.” The result was a volunteer project by the 8th graders to make “fuzzies”, one of the items used for therapy during the riding sessions. “The class came out to TH to view the use of the fuzzies that they made and to tour the facility.”

There are a number of activities besides riding to be found at TH. Able-bodied students participate in cleaning and grooming the horses, another way of emotional connecting to the animals. Indian painting, where riders get to decorate their mounts like the warhorses of old, is also a favorite. Plus numerous other planned events during the year. And, one of the horses at TH just got the very distinctive honor of being chosen as the NARHA, Region 7,  Horse Of The Year. Besides working as a program horse, Stoney the Pony is also 40 years old — another testament to the great care given to the animals at TH.

The future of TH looks bright, but there are always ways to support the great efforts and services that they provide. “We receive about 75 percent of our yearly program costs and necessary funding from a combination of government support, local corporations and foundations, and our program fees.” Saale said. “That still leaves around 25 percent to be raised from charitable donations, so we depend strongly on the support of our community.”

The works at TH would also be forfeit without the presence of hundreds of volunteer workers. “We owe so much to our volunteers.” Courier concluded. “Without them, we couldn’t do what we do for so many — and, we always need more.”

It’s little wonder that combining the elements of physical therapy with horsemanship have had such wonderful results in treating people with disabilities. Maybe it’s the emotional connection between man and horse that is providing the motivation necessary to reach beyond what is, and grasp what could be. Call it what you will, it remains the same — Horse Magic!   

For Therapeutic Horsemanship program details, contact information, online donations, or a listing of upcoming events, visit their website at www.thstl.org.