For this blog I would like to focus on a particular story reflecting how Equine Therapy has helped people. A boy by the name of Luke Rodgers was born with a serious disease; most babies that have this don’t even come to full term and are miscarried. He was one of the very few that made it to birth or even survived after birth. Although his family was overjoyed at his being born, there were a lot of difficulties. He was unable to walk and had no coordination; on top of all this he developed Leukemia. Three years later Luke miraculously overcame Leukemia, but still could not walk by the age of six. His parents heard of Equine Therapy and decided to give it a try, after six weeks of therapy he started walking. Now, one year later he is seven years old and still going strong, his walking has improved and should continue to do so.
During the TV interview the therapist was talking about what makes Equine Therapy successful. She said that it gives people the feeling of motion and going forward, and it also give the therapist a chance to work on other coordination exercises such as handing back and forth a ball. Another great attribute is the excellent balance skills the child is acquiring because while the horse is in motion they have to sit steady. These are all things that babies normally learn while developing, but in cases like this these skills need to be taught and practiced in controlled environments. One of the best parts is children have fun during this therapy, they don’t even know what it is, and simply think they are going out for a “play day”. This concept proved true in Luke's life, he always has a huge smile on his face when he's with the horse.
What do you think about horses helping babies’ motor skills through their motion? In your opinion, is this a legitimate statement?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d43KDtqxRTY
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