74 SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
one gentleman from Korea is studying at SIRE. Tomorrow, one of
SIRE’s four master instructors may very well be jet setting off to
Japan or Israel to help train others.
With all the excitement, Anthony Busacca, Hockley site
director and PATH master-certified instructor, says they
couldn’t do it without their volunteers, who contributed more
than $700,000 worth of working hours in 2013. “Without the
community and their time, we just couldn’t do it,” he said.
Of course, the horses are also instrumental. “I can’t say
enough about horses as therapy animals,” said Shayna Bolton,
Spring site director. “They’re amazing in so many ways. A horse
is nonjudgmental and very forgiving. Their walk is similar to a
human gait. Horse riding at a walking gait can generate motor
and sensory inputs similar to those produced by human walking
and, because of this, it can be very beneficial as a therapy for
someone with ambulatory challenges.”
Utilizing their two-legged and four-legged staff, the centers
treat clients with a variety
of physical and
mental disabilities
— including, but not
limited to, those with
autism, cerebral
palsy, spinal cord
injuries and post-
traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD).
Clients range
from children to
adults, and even veterans
of the Armed Forces. “We have quite a variety of riders —
everywhere from 3-year-old children to 80-year-old adults with
Alzheimer’s, people with severe physical handicaps and people
on the autism spectrum with social problems and behavioral
issues,” Anthony said.
Overcoming Challenges
While every day is a blessing at SIRE, it’s also a major
undertaking. With so many different types of riders with varying
needs, volunteers and staff need to be well educated and
prepared to handle difficult situations.
Anthony explains that for people on the autism spectrum,
communication is a primary challenge. “For people with autism
who have more social, behavioral or cognitive issues, there
are challenges in making that connection. They tend to live
in a parallel world. They don’t like social interaction. They’re
withdrawn. So with the horse being a less threatening creature,
it’s easier for them to start making connections with the horse by
bonding.”
However, that doesn’t mean making the connection with the
horse is easy either. He explained that sometimes students are
fearful of the horse and will be placed on the horse while kicking
and screaming, at the request of their parents. After a lap or
two around the ring, Anthony
says that with most
clients something
clicks and the next
time they come to
ride they’re eager
to get back into the
saddle.
With physically
disabled clients,
Anthony says it’s
all about balance
and alignment. Often times,
clients spend their entire lives in a wheelchair and riding is a
unique opportunity for them to feel motion through the footfalls of
a horse. This, of course, is an extremely positive undertaking for
them, but a major undertaking nonetheless. While riding, these
clients use muscle groups they haven’t used before and struggle
to achieve balance. However, after spending time on the back of
{
“I see first-hand how much our riders work and grow
physically, cognitively and emotionally like learning how
to walk or gaining the ability to go up and down stairs,
but sometimes it’s the small accomplishments that are
so special. I had one mother almost in tears because her
son was able to pick up Cheetos and eat them.”
- Shayna Bolton
}
Alexys Manske at the CGG Saddle Up
for SIRE Ride-a-thon at the 7iL Ranch in
Cat Spring, Texas
Photo courtesy of SIRE.
