The Spirit Open Equestrian program has already made a significant difference in the attitude and behavior of our 10 year old grandson. He has moderately severe autism, has very limited verbal skills, and prefers his own company accompanied by large amounts of modeling clay and his iPad.
After only 4 therapeutic riding lessons, he is clearly excited by the thought of another riding lesson, is communicating with his horse and the instructional staff, and rewarding himself and onlookers with a big smile for his accomplishments. Ms. Suvak and her empathetic and gifted staff bring out the best in Joshua, treating him like a little boy capable of equestrian success — and he responds so positively to them. He is listening to directions and following them, clearly determined to succeed while enjoying the only therapy in his life that he thinks is fun! While we understand the physical and psychological benefits equestrian therapy provides, Joshua is just relishing this new experience and his evolving skills.
He has been in various types of therapy for the past 8 years and the Spirit program has evoked the most positive response in the shortest time. To hear him say, “Run, Spirit, run” followed by “That’s good!” is a tremendous breakthrough for him and a special moment for us. We are grateful to everyone at Spirit Open Equestrian for making it possible for our child to have this hour of happiness each week. We hope that more children like Joshua will be able to participate in this program in the future.
