Horseriding

[Spinkle]

We have, helpfully,just been awarded DLA for my DS (ASD) and were thinking of the best way to put it to use.

Anyone had a go at horseriding - any good?

There are riding stables that do free lessons for children on DLA (worth lokking around). I would love to take the dd's, dd1 refuses to get on a horse and dd2 loves it.

My DD1 is 13 and has AS. Horses are her all consuming passion and she spends every minute possible with them. She says they make more sense than people and are kinder. I've heard of studies which say that horse-riding is of great benefit to children with ASD so I'd recommend giving it a go.

Not just horseriding, either. There are some centres that do Equine disability therapy, where people just enjoy being with the horses and looking after them. It's often a better way to learn about relationships and contact, because horses respond so clearly to the 'wrong' and right ways to handle them.

If you're going to any riding centre, make sure they are well recommended, clean, careful, friendly, caring and insured. Look for British Horse Society or Riding for the Disabled up-to-date notices being shown, for example. There are a lot of rogue places out there who won't much care if you child is injured.

We've tried ds2 but he won't put the hat on & they refuse to even let him sit on without one.
I've had a riding hat at home for ages trying to coax him.

It is a brilliant form of exercise and therapy, I hope your ds enjoys it.

Thanks for that, all Great tips.

Ds2 loves being around horses.. There is some conection there and he understands them.. And dogs as well actually.
they seem to all understand each other... If that makes any sense at all.

Definatley worth giving it a go ..
Hat , back protection and smell all might need getting used to.. But the horses make it well worth while.

( we are lucky as we have a friend with a very gentle shire, if I could afford to keep one I'd have one like a shot!)

We are starting DD as soon as we are able (age 4 due to H&S!). At our local stables there is a hippotherapist so we are really lucky - might be worth finding out if one working local to you?

anon- just so you know in case it's useful in the future - Horse Boy camps let kids ride without hats.

Happily DS will wear a hat - he likes to wear hats, and is used to wearing a helmet on his bike.

He's not at all sensitive to smell - never ever comments on it, as it happens.

Will look into hippotherapy if he likes it.

ds (severe ASD, Learning Difficulties, Challenging behaviour) has been riding since he was 4 (9 now). He has always had 1-1 lessons with parental support so essentially 2-1 but last week for the first time he took part in a class.

I have found the horses are very tollerant of him. He is not skilled in the technical aspects of riding but he loves it. The stables have been brilliant with ds even at times when he would jump off and run under horses legs . Initially he wouldn't do any of the housekeeping - putting horse away, trying to brush because he struggled with the smells but he is fine now. He is essentially non verbal but every sunday asks for his "horseyriding!"

Thanks Saintly will give it a google

We are just starting and seeing amazing effects on our DD, she adores it! Go for it!

Oh dear, we were hoping to save up and take ds to horseboy camp but not being made to wear a hat isn't really a good thing is it. I know my opinion is personal as I've spent a long time enforcing the no hat - no riding rule (even when it took two adults to get the hat on) and I don't really want ds seeing other children being allowed to ride hatless, but surely there would be insurance issues too? Perhaps they make you sign a disclaimer or something.

DD goes riding every week. Compared to the other kids she's pretty hopeless (don't think she has actually realised that SHE is supposed to tell the pony what to do!!) but she loves it and her riding school have been brilliantly supportive. She is really missing it this summer.
Don't think it has really "helped" her in any therapeutic way but I think it's a really nice thing to do!

Well that was our aim - not everything has to be therapy based, does it? I'm happy if he's happy...

ds rides for enjoyment. 5 yrs on he can say "kick" "pull" etc but the pony is still very much in charge. I believe he has got so much from his riding and its an activity he can do for pleasure when so many activities are so far beyond him.

Yes you sign a disclaimer. Most of the kids on our camp wore hats. One boy didn't because he simply would not (he was just 3). he didn't have the understanding to link the hat with riding. He actually got an amazing amount out of being on the horses - and that is why it isn't insisted upon. Ds1 would not wear a hat until he was about 6 and could understand hat first then x. He used to take it off a lot though. Once he got to 8 it was easier because he could imitate so finally he could understand that a hat was related to riding and that you wore at hat or no riding. But he really didn't have that level of understanding until he was 8 and able to imitate.

Horse boy don't want to exclude those who really cannot wear a hat so they don't insist. Western saddles are used in the main. Another reason I guess for being happy with no hats - it started in Texas.

Yes I thought it must be something to do with the american connection, the whole western riding thing is so different isn't it? Actually I've always wanted to have a go on a western saddle so I might get my chance if we manage to go to the camp.

I had a go!

I think it's more about autism really but having texan origins probably makes them more relaxed about the idea. I can understand what you mean, but seeing the little 3 year old did bring it all back to me. Until ds1 could imitate I don't think he really even connected a hat with riding, so I suspect he was shoved on a horse (without knowing it was coming) and then had a hat shoved on him (for apparently in his mind completely unrelated reasons). They did try to get a hat on the 3 year old's head but it just wasn't possible- no hat would have been no riding (which is was for many years with ds1 - and he never connected that lack of ride with lack of hat). The little boy was just amazing on the horse - it was very moving.

We rode a lot of the time in smaller groups and I'm sure if you asked if you could ride only with people wearing hats they would do their best to accommodate that.

I doubt ds made the connection for a long time but I thought I'd better start as I meant to go on as it would be harder later on iyswim. He still won't let me anywhere near him with brush/comb/shampoo (thank goodness he's never had nits) but he will wear the riding hat. I suppose he just got used to it in the end. He used to fiddle with it and was desperate to get it off as soon as he was out of the saddle but on Friday he forgot himself and climbed in the car with it on so I knew we'd 'got there' at last.

I'm really looking forward to taking him to the camp but it will have to be something to aim for next year. It will be great to have a holiday that is for him for a change as he doesn't so much enjoy as tolerate our normal camping trips and that's only because he doesn't have a choice. Even dh is keen to go and he isn't into the horses at all (I've owned my youngster 3 years and he's seen him twice), because he knows how much ds gets out of it. Not sure what dh and dd will do to occupy themselves while ds and I are off riding the range though.

Sorry Spinkle, hijacked a bit there. I'd say yes, horse riding brilliant. Ds doesn't really 'do' outdoorsy exercise stuff, he normally has trouble walking very far and he used to fall over a lot because his balance wasn't good. I'm sure it's the riding that has improved his balance and he is happy to spend an afternoon outside if there is a pony involved. He sits on the pony with a big grin on his face and it does me good to see him like that so everyone is a winner.

Lovely pics.
Dd might ride once we are there as she sometimes does when we are on holiday, just won't at home. Shetland plays her up even though she is a nice quiet little rider, but is angelic with ds who is a terrible fidget!

Ds still won't wear any other hats, woolly or otherwise. And he'll only wear a velvet cap not a jockey skull as that doesn't look right to him. I bought him one of the lightweight vented riding hats that looks a bit like a cycle helmet as I thought he might prefer it but I've never even got near enough to try it on him!

Shetlands can be like that can't they? I am very jealous of you having horses - I would love to have a family pony (or two as long as there was one for me). DS2 hated riding before we went. He was terrified. He'd ridden my friend's miniature who is no bigger than a dog and been white with fear. He was really, really complaining about going. Then at horse boy he was happily riding massive cobs - it was our biggest surprise. And he was tucking into gorse bush flowers and raw nettles during the wild food walk. Mr 'won't eat a potato'.