Horses Assist the Disabled at H.A.T.S.
By J.L. Orchard
Some children can only dream of standing up, running, loving one of the world's most beautiful animals. For many children and families, every task is a hardship. The ability to say, "I remember," "I can," is a rarity and at times, it is impossible. For the past seven years, Horse Alternative Therapeutic Services (H.A.T.S.) has dedicated itself to these individuals, so that these children and adults can do anything they dream.
H.A.T.S. began in 2002 as a way for disabled children and adults to develop both physically and emotionally through horses. Horses offer unique benefits to these riders. The courage it takes to climb onto these mammoth creatures' backs and ride can only build self-esteem and confidence. It is an access to sports and recreation and competition, something many of these individuals are not often able to participate in. For many it is an escape from a wheelchair or leg brace. It is something they can do.
The physical benefits of horseback riding are monumental. For wheelchair-bound individuals, the motion of horseback riding imitates that of walking. It normalizes the muscles and allows for better mobilization of the core and pelvis. Apart from strengthened muscles, riding offers these individuals improved balance and co-ordination.
For some parents, the real miracle comes in the form of extended attention spans. Smiles. A day in the week that their child looks forward to.
Horse Alternative Therapeutic Services, located at Classic Farms in Pelham, must follow strict guidelines in order to function. Recognized by CanTRA (Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association), they are required to use a Certified Instructor … Susan Annan took on the difficult task of obtaining her CTRAI certification and has chosen to continue her studies to become an Intermediate Instructor. Annan keeps a library of books and videos, clinic dates, and memberships, which include OnTRA (Ontario Therapeutic Riding Association) and O.E.F. (Ontario Equestrian Federation), in order to keep her knowledge current and provide the best service she can to her students. Her dedication to H.A.T.S. is proven in the 10-15 hours that she spends each week with her students, all time for which she does not receive payment.
The H.A.T.S. workers aren't the only ones required to be skilled. The horses of H.A.T.S. are the foundation of the program, and they must be of the utmost quality. Even-tempered and intelligent, therapeutic horses are in short supply. They need to learn their jobs, to know when to ignore a rider's command and when not to.
Annan and volunteer-at-large, Krista Mills, ask a lot of their mounts. Their search can drag them through ten to fifteen horses before they find that special one. Even though individuals looking to give or loan a horse often contact them, that horse will have heavy responsibilities and not just any horse will do. "We take [the horse] for a trial and see how they deal with the balls, hula hoops, the games, and especially the mounting ramp. They can be skittish about these things, that is only natural, but you can tell pretty quickly if they're willing to try it out and learn," says Mills. "We really have to be able to put a lot of trust in them."
Although the odd student doesn't take to riding and leaves the program, most of them do enjoy it. Many, who were intimidated by the horses at first, have quickly fallen in love with them. "The horses know their jobs very well and know when they are working. They are actually different when they are working then when under saddle with a non-H.A.T.S. client." Mills adds, "I think all domestic animals need a purpose, and our [horses] know their job."
Not being a "kid person," Mills joined H.A.T.S. as a way to spend time with horses. But it seems that time has changed that, saying, "Seeing a child's face light up as she feels the freedom of riding, or a little boy's giggle on his first trot, or a rider reaching a milestone--that's what keeps me going week after week."
Annan feels the same. "I guess that is one of the reasons I love what I do. It is to help others help themselves. I get the feeling that my riders get a great sense of accomplishment after the ride no matter how small, from remembering the colour of a horse, to how to hold the reins correctly."
Their students endlessly surprise Annan and Mills by how they improve. One example is an adult with an acquired brain injury that has left her with no short-term memory. Recently she was able to tell Annan about an event in her life from the past week. This small piece of memory was a major achievement brought on by the H.A.T.S. repetitive memory work and Annan's consistency. All the activities done in the lessons are designed to benefit the riders either in memory or physically. Annan has even incorporated the "behind the scenes of horsemanship" into the memory work -- an exercise that the students appreciate and excel at.
The students aren't the only ones with struggles. H.A.T.S. carries its own difficulties. Although H.A.T.S. regularly applies for government grants -- which are hard to gain -- they survive entirely on rider fees, donations, and fundraising. "Our riders generally have greater expenses than the average family because of their special needs, so we try to keep our rider fees as low as possible. Because horses are expensive to keep, our rider fees never cover the cost of keeping the horses," Mills says. That is why H.A.T.S. needs the support of the community to keep their program active. All of the H.A.T.S. horses are boarded and have regular vet and farrier expenses that have to be added up, totaling approximately $8,000 a year per horse with a further $2,000 towards other expenses.
H.A.T.S. is in continual need of volunteers, whether it be with fundraising events, lessons, or other special activities. They are also in search of Board of Directors Members who meet once a month. "There are numerous skills that would be of benefit in this position and there is generally room for everyone. We always welcome new ideas," Mills explains. The need for a second certified instructor cannot be stressed enough, and is hard to find since H.A.T.S. does not have the funds to pay its instructors.
For the sake of their students, H.A.T.S. does its best to not have to cancel lessons due to weather or emergencies. They have a few substitute instructors that will teach the lesson based on Annan's lesson plans if Annan is on vacation. Further, two suitable horses have graciously been loaned to them on stand-by in the event that one of the H.A.T.S. horses cannot be used. But time, volunteers, and funding seem to always end up on the short list.
Mills feels that, "Personally, I think if down the road sometime we could be operating on a full-time basis with paid instructors, that would be a good end-of-the-rainbow for us." She adds, "With funding comes stability…"
The benefits that horses offer to the disabled, truly is a miracle. From three-year-olds to seniors, from full dependency to complete independence, these students come with their own baggage. These volunteers and horses do their best to lighten that load. And for some students who, prior to H.A.T.S., could hardly walk, they later graduate to a regular riding school.
So why do we set a boundary between the disabled and ourselves? Their future, their dream, is the same as ours, and given the chance, they can … they will.
For further information on H.A.T.S. call 905-704-9820 or visit their web site at www.hatsniagara.org.
This article originally appeared in Cinch Magazine and in the Pelham News and has been reprinted with permission from the author.
Submittedby = J.L. Orchard
Bio = Assistant Editor of Cinch Magazine, J.L. Orchard loves her horse and enjoys competing hunter/jumper. A Niagara resident, Orchard’s articles have appeared in the local newspaper and on the internet. She enjoys volunteering at H.A.T.S. and would like to see more people become involved with this amazing program.
Email = jlv@vandentech.com
Website = http://www.cinchmagazine.com
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