Horse Show

Ben’s a winner!

We participated with the exceptional rider’s group at a local horse show today.   Tall Pines Horse Show in not-too-far-away Reevesville, SC provides a slot for Enchanted Acres’ group to show their stuff.  Ben on Spot, along with the rest of the group, rode around the ring a couple times, then lined up in the middle of the arena for the ribbon presentation.  Each exceptional rider received a “champion” ribbon for participating.  You can see how much Ben loved this.  The next show won’t be until the Fall.  We can’t wait to see how much more Ben can do by then.  Yaaahoooo!

Lesson 4: He trots??

I have no photos from this therapuetic horseback riding lesson lesson, but it needs to be documented.   It has been just 3 hours in as many weeks since Ben’s first initial freak-out over getting up on a horse.  He has progressed much faster than any of us ever anticipated.  After riding around the ring several times.  Ben decided he’d like to try going a little bit faster.  The next fastest gait after walking is called the trot.   It’s like a fast walk or jog that can be pretty bouncy for a brand new rider during his THIRD time up on a horse.   Ben LOVED trotting.  The bouncing one-two pattern of the gait made him giggle uncontrollably.  It was infectious and we were all laughing together chanting “trot trot trot trot…”.  How amazing is that??

In the saddle…

And ON the horse!  Ben surprised us all again.  After countless reminders that he did NOT want to ride Spot and that he did NOT want to sit in the saddle, with enough support and the absence of pressure, he changed his mind. 

Ben’s lesson started with grooming again.  He remembered which brushes to use and warmed up enough to rub Spot with his hand.  He helped carry the saddle pad and saddle over from the  Tack Room and then helped Shelli pull the girth tight.  Using the blue lead rope, Ben then led Spot into the indoor arena.  He learned to stay to the left of Spot, near his head while leading.  We could see Ben’s confidence growing as Spot reliably stopped and started whenever Ben did and followed wherever Ben led.

Next, Kelly and Shelli gave Ben an opportunity to play a ring toss game that is quite difficult to do when not in the saddle atop your horse.  Ben declined to get on Spot, but wanted to play the game anyway.  So, they did.

Although he was sure he did not want to ride Spot today, Ben was agreeable to having *me* ride Spot.  So, I fastened my safety helmet, and mounted Spot behind the child-size saddle.  We expected another refusal when I invited Ben to sit with me, but for whatever reason, he didn’t hesitate in saying “yes” this time.  And other than making sure my hands were on his hips, Ben didn’t panic or get upset in any way when Spot began to move. Kelly and Shelli taught Ben how to make Spot stop (say ‘whoah!’) and go (say ‘walk on, Spot!’).  He loved this and enjoyed practicing with Spot.  After some time riding, Ben said “let’s go back in the barn so we can brush Spot,”  which is just what we did.

But not before Little Brother Will had a turn. 

Ella Rose was also offered a turn.  She did not surprise us and predictably declined.  And that’s just fine.  Two cowboys is enough for now.  We’ll see what happens next week…

I Gallop!

Ben’s first horseback riding lesson was today.  Enchanted Acres Equestrian Center and the lovely Miss Kelly and Miss Shelli offer wonderful individually tailored lessons for “exceptional” riders on Sundays.  This is a different center than the one Ben visited with Mark back in November.   That experience was so positive for Ben that we thought regular lessons might be something he would enjoy.  That, and the therapeutic benefit of riding, of course.

Our first visit was last Sunday, where we observed another child during her lesson.  Ben really enjoyed watching the little girl ride the gentle appaloosa, Spot, but continually asked if he could have a turn to ride.  When the opportunity arrived, Ben eagerly put on his helmet, listened to the directions, indicated he knew his left foot would be put in the stirrup first, smiled as he was hoisted up into the saddle…and promptly freaked out.  “MAMA!  I DO NOT LIKE THIS.  STOP!  I WANT TO GET OFF!  GET ME OFF OF THIS HORSE!  AHHHH!  I DON’T LIKE SPOT!”

We guided Ben to dismount and he ceased yelling, but made sure we all knew that he did NOT like it when Spot moved.  Spot, to his credit, continued standing in the same place he had been during Ben’s stationary “ride”, munching the new grass beneath him, unaffected by Ben’s panic.

Along with the ASD, Ben has sensory integration difficulties.  He can be hyper-sensitive to certain sensations, especially those that affect his balance and motor coordination.  Maintaining his balance on an unpredictable, albeit  stationary,  grass munching horse was too much for Ben’s vestibular system.  It was obvious we were going to have to begin this endeavor at a much slower pace.

Or so I thought.

Ben’s first lesson consisted of initial grooming tasks, then using the lead rope to guide Spot into the arena.  There, Miss Kelly and Ben used finger paints to paint right on Spot.  This was a neat tactile exercise that encouraged familiarity and comfort with the horse, while using all kinds of language, too.  Next, Ben offered different foods for Spot to taste,  including a can of Dr. Pepper which the horse snarfed and asked for more.  (evil high fructose corn syrup!) Here Ben talked directly to Spot telling him “C’mon Spot, here’s your sweet feed.   Do you like it?  Eat some more.”  So cute.

Lastly, Kelly and Shelli introduced us to the iGallop.  It’s an electronic horse riding simulator that really does help you feel like you are in the saddle.  There are 3 speeds on the iGallop, of which I anticipated Ben to vehemently protest.  He was not eager to climb up, even after watching both Will and I take a happy turn.  After encouragement, Ben agreed to get on with Mark and seemed to trepeditiously enjoy it.  Once he realized that he could start, stop, or speed up the iGallop on his own, Ben gradually lost all inhibitions.  We were actually a bit worried at the end that we’d have a hard time getting him off of it.

Hopefully we can transfer this success to riding the real thing.  We can’t wait for next Sunday!