A Boy and His Horse…
A Horse Friend for Travis For the first two months, every riding session with 11-year-old Travis would end the same way—in tears.
One of our goals is to consistently provide a nurturing environment that causes riders to leave each session feeling better than when they arrived. It appears we were failing to do that for Travis, and we could not understand what we were doing wrong. Was the saddle uncomfortable and causing Travis discomfort?
Was Travis afraid of his assigned horse, Tank, the big, brown, BLM mustang? We thought Travis and Tank had formed a bond right away. Were we wrong?
Travis could not readily give us the answers we were in search of because he is nonverbal. However, Travis can, and does, communicate with his family and teacher using his laptop. Of course, the laptop did not attend the riding sessions with Travis. So, for two months, Travis would cry every time his riding session was about to end, and no one could say why for sure.
Then one day, Travis’ speech therapist decided to ask Travis about his riding sessions: “Travis, I want to hear about your horse.”
“Okay,” came Travis’s typed reply. After Travis answered questions about the horse’s name, color, and size, Travis’ teacher asked if Travis feared being up high when he rides Tank.
“No, he’s my friend he’s nice to me.”
Further into the conversation, Travis revealed that the reason he cried when he had to tell Tank goodbye is because he felt sad. Travis didn’t want to leave his “horse friend” he wanted to stay with Tank. Travis’ teacher explained to Travis that Tank had to sleep in a barn and that staying with Tank all the time would mean sleeping in a barn too.
“Would you rather sleep in the barn or go home with mom?”
“Go home with my mom.”
It’s been more than five months since that conversation. Travis has been with Prospect Riding Center for a total of seven months, and originally had begun therapeutic lessons with his sister, in the sibling program at Prospect Riding Center. His transitions at the end of his sessions are fine now. Sometimes he is even allowed to spend more time with his horse friend Tank after the session and gives Tank treats in the barn before saying goodbye.
Just last month, Travis and his family bonded with new horse friends. The family went on an hour-long trail ride while on vacation in Vermont.
“We had a conversation beforehand, so Travis understood that the horse he would be riding was not Tank. It was a beautiful ride in the mountains. Travis was on lead and he did so well! He was laughing and happy the entire ride! A big thanks to Mary-Ann, Susan, Kylee and all the volunteers for helping us get to this point,” expressed Travis’ mom, Donna, with gratitude.
Prospect Riding Center provides children with special needs, like Travis, with an opportunity to make a horse friend. The enhanced self-esteem and increased social skills that develop from the unique bond between human and horse helps these children connect with their human friends and family as well!
You can help us provide that special horse friend for a child with special needs by donating today!
Family Vacation Trail Ride
