I'm so pleased.........

[Thomcat]

Have wanted to take Lottie horseriding for ages. As she's 3 in a month and still not walking or even standing, i thought it would be a really nice thing for her, and me, to do together. It's something she can do, other than being taken swimming, that she can (hopefully) really enjoy and get into.

Anyway, every stables I've spoken to has said she has to be 5.
Just spoken to one 12 minutes away from my house and they said that as it's special circumstances (Lottie has Down's syndrome) they will allow me to come down, they've picked out a special little pony, we can borrow her son's gear, they have a back support and she'll walk on one side and I'll walk on the other and I can go down on Friday.

I'm so happy. This woman has put herself out and made allowances and is basically gping out of her way to help us

Lottie might hate it but at least we get to try it.

At the moment she bum shuffles up and down the hall, holding onto pretend reins making 'clip clip' noises, pretending to ride a horse So hopefully she'll love it, I really hope so.

She loved the horse, more from a slight distance tbh though! Like a lot of kids she was totally into the horse when she wasn't near it and leant out of my arms saying 'there, there' and wanting to be near and then as soon as we were up close she'd lean away and be all unsure.

The leader was walking round the pony with Lottie in her arms and I said look just put her on him and lets get walking. I think once she was on the horse she was happier.

If she gets used to it more, and used to the body armour more than anything, then i think it'll be great therapy, mental and physical and I would love to her have an activity that she can get into, be confident around horses etc.

Oh, one funny thing today, I was petting what a thought was a heavily pregnant donkey and getting Lottie to stroke her. I said to one of the stable girls, when this donley due then and she saud, oh she's not pregnant that's a tumour! Donley was about 12ft wide!! I said, but I saw it move, which I did, and she said it was probably wind! oh lovely, just lovely! Poor old donkey!

Oh and amazing stables, over 100 horses there and 15 minutes from my house

Poor old donkey indeed

I bet Lottie will be fine once she's been a couple more times. Excellent therapy all round like you said, and she will love the ponies (and they will get to know her and love her after a while too). And it's so lucky that the stables are so near you.