This month, Chance, Sky and Taco helped our students with their balance, muscle control and body strength while enhancing their ability to communicate and bond. Who are these three fellows you ask? They are the amazing horses found at Seaside 4 Therapeutic Riding. Seaside 4 is a non-profit corporation dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults alike.
With the help of their skilled horses, a team of certified instructors, and dedicated volunteers, students are taught horsemanship skills appropriate for their age and level of ability. In addition, students were taught the foundations of horse behavior and proper horse care.
One of the primary tenets of riding is that the horse and human relationship can act as a metaphor for the human-to-human relationship. A positive horse and human interaction experienced through horseback riding can result in a greater sense of teamwork, responsibility and communication and this experience can be transferred into positive human relationships in our students’ everyday lives.
Below, Alex will take you along on this fun and exciting journey:
Once we arrived, our students received helmets and gloves which they excitedly put on. They looked like professional riders already!
They got onto their horses and off they went. As they were riding, they learned all about the horse they were on. They also got to play with, pet and feed the horse. Physical therapy strategies were also implemented while the students were riding. For example, an instructor would throw a ball to a child on a horse and they had to catch it.
Our students also brushed the horses and fed them carrots. Some of our students particularly loved this part most. Everyone had a great time and left with a smile!