Coming down the dirt path of Del Arroyo Drive, a visitor might see a child standing on horseback--an event he probably won't find so remarkable in itself--until, upon drawing closer, he notices that same child's wheelchair or crutches strewn nearby.
Sycamore trees and wildflowers line the horse trails that lead high into the Santa Monica mountains. When the sun goes down, only moonlight shines on the forty-three acres of land that holds more than twenty horses, fifteen cats, and three dogs. When the sun comes up, however, this serene spot becomes a place where therapy holds a new meaning for hundreds of multiply handicapped children who are moving "Ahead with Horses."
Developed nearly twenty years ago, Ahead--Accelerated Habilitation, Education, and Development--with Horses, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization using vaulting (gymnastics on a moving horse) as therapy for even the most severely handicapped. Clients range from a three-month-old with Down's syndrome to an 85-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease. Most clients, however, are children who have not responded to traditional forms of therapy.
Liz Helms, director and founder of the program, believes that it is the horse's movement that changes the brain, which in turn changes the body and the individual's ability to integrate and process sensory input. She explains that the children have fun and experience a sense of success while facing real challenges.
A Success Story
Only the children's successes, however, can demonstrate the real value of the program. Take the case of David Fisher, a seven-year-old with spina bifida who was never expected to walk or stand.
It was two years ago October, and Helms had taken the program to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center for a public demonstration. David had been practicing, and tonight he would show everyone that he could stand unassisted. After several children had performed, showing their progress, David mounted Mr. Budweiser, a Clydesdale donated to the program by Anheuser-Busch, and rode several circles around the ring. An assisted stand on the horse prepared him for the big moment. He dismounted and stood up with the help of his crutches. He then put down the crutches he had relied on for so long. His eyes filled with excitement as he stood alone for more than thirty seconds. Then came the unexpected as David suddenly walked his first five steps.
Now, two years later, David can walk from home plate to third base--an accomplishment that even his mother never expected. Mrs. Fisher attributes his success to what David Calls "back-horse riding." She explains that David's doctors and therapists had never tried teaching him to walk.
According to Helms, David was taught first to stand on horseback. "It is unlike any other therapy because our floor moves. This intensifies the demand for an adaptive response." To stay upright, David needed to learn to shift his weight laterally. Once children can do this on a horse, explains Helms, they can stand on the ground.
Such exercises, based on actual vaulting techniques, teach the children basic
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