Julia Johnson couldn’t sing the praises of a recreational equestrian program enough. Her daughter has been saddling up for more than a decade now and there’s no end in sight.
“Riding is wonderful for her,” she stated, giving thanks to Little Bits.
The non-profit therapeutic riding association offers these programs for people with any disability of any age. It’s now in its 36th year and it just branched out into Sturgeon County last weekend.
Johnson’s daughter, Emily, is 20 and has cerebral palsy. She uses a wheelchair to get around so this is a great change of pace for her. She’s been a participant for the last decade now and it’s done wonders for her flexibility and core strength. She even exercises her communication skills too since she rides with three people helping.
“It’s a real social event for her. She’s always talking with her volunteers.”
She explained there have been other programs that have helped Emily in various ways but nothing has come close to providing such a range of benefits at the same time. Plus, it’s just fun.
“She gets to be near that wonderful animal. She gets the freedom of being on a horse. She loves to trot.
“There’s something about a horse. They’re so calming.”
Instructor Roxanne Parker said that she isn’t surprised when people are awestruck by what the program does for its students. She has seen how it helps those with a wide variety of physical and psychological difficulties including autism, visual and hearing impairments.
For people in wheelchairs, there is a special ramp that allows them to mount the horse. Each participant starts with some simple stretches and exercises before they go on a trail ride and play games.
“It’s really for anybody that has any type of disability,” she began, later qualifying that individuals who feel they suffer from a disability could participate in the program.
“For autistic kids, a lot of them might not be able to interact well in a setting where there’s a lot going on. We could see them being afraid to do certain things and then they overcome those fears … maybe not being as verbal and then becoming more verbal over the course of the lessons.”
She said the inaugural session was already a success.
“We’ve seen great progress from someone who was terrified to get on a horse to someone who’s trotting already.”
Each year, more than 135 riders benefit from the program run in Edmonton at the Whitemud Equine Centre. The new St. Albert program will allow for 30 more riders with five riders per one-hour class.
Johnson ended by stating, “There’s just a need for the program. It’s pretty fantastic! The students really have a lot of fun.”
The local sessions take place on Monday evenings and Saturday afternoons at Horse Sence Training and Petting Zoo located at 54410 R.R. 255 in Sturgeon County. Sessions run on a weekly basis.
You can learn more about the program at www.littlebits.ca.
