Horse therapy strengthens kids with disabilities
Published: 2010-07-18 17:59:31By: SARA MARZOUGUI | Miami Herald | April 8, 2010
Leslie Torbert, 12, couldn't walk until she was 2 ½ because her muscles were too weak. Today, she rides a horse independently and competes in local equestrian shows.
"I love to ride; I love to jump, and I love to help groom the horses,'' Leslie said.
She suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome, a developmental disability known to cause life-threatening obesity. It also can affect learning, growth and stature, as well as social relationships.
When Leslie first came to Good Hope Equestrian Riding Center, a nonprofit therapeutic facility in Redland, Miami-Dade, she needed an instructor and two people walking on each side of the horse to help her because of her weak trunk.
Riding has helped her gain strength in her hips and better back posture. After two years, she was able to ride without assistance.
The memory of this day still brings her mother, Michelle Torbert, to tears.
"She has gotten to the point where she rides so well that her level doesn't exist in competitions for special needs children,'' Torbert said.
Last year, young Torbert won first place in a Walk Trout Hunter Under Saddle competition at Tropical Park in Southwest Miami-Dade.
The founder of Good Hope, Peggy Bass, who is also a certified therapist, thinks that therapeutic riding is successful because the children don't see their sessions as a formal therapy. They see it as fun.
"Every time they win, I cry,'' Bass said.
Research from the American Hippotherapy Association has proved that the horse's movement provides a dynamic base of support, making it an excellent tool for increasing trunk strength and control. As the horse trots, riders subtly adjust to maintain their posture, which gives them better balance in the long run.
According to the North
American Riding for the Handicapped Association, therapeutic riding has
been shown to improve a range of symptoms, such as low muscle tone,
posture problems and coordination. It can also help build self-esteem
for children suffering from a range of disabilities like cerebral
palsy, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injury or autism.