Riding Center Boosts Confidence In Autistic Kids

"It's Thursday! It's Thursday!"   

My daughter jumps out of bed.   She flings open her dresser drawer and finds her special riding pants and SpiritHorse t-shirt.  Most mornings are difficult:  battles with clothes, eating breakfast, going to school.  But not on Thursdays.

Austen has autism. She began taking lessons at SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center in Corinth, Texas about two years ago.  We had heard that studies show autistic children are able to create a special bond with horses where other therapies have failed.  I am happy to report that this is true in our case.  

The first lesson was difficult.  The horses scared her and she began to yell and scream as we walked towards the stables. Novelty of any kind for people with autism can be challenging.  Temple Grandin, probably the world's foremost authority on autism and an autistic herself, describes the fear associated with new experiences in her article, "Thinking the Way Animals Do":

Fear is the main emotion in autism and it is also the main emotion in prey animals such as horses and cattle. Things that scare horses and cattle also scare children with autism. Any little thing that looks out of place, such as a piece of paper blowing i n the wind, may cause fear. Objects that make sudden movements are the most fear-provoking. In the wild, sudden movement is feared because predators make sudden movements.  

People with autism have emotions, but they are simpler and more like the emotions of a vigilant prey species animal. Fear is the main emotion in a prey species animal because it motivates the animal to flee from predators. The fear circuits in an animal's brain have been mapped by neuroscientists. When an animal forms a fear memory, it is located in the amygdala, which is in the lower, primitive part of the brain. J.E. LeDoux and M. Davis have discovered that fear memories cannot be erased from the brain. This is why it is so important to prevent the formation of fear memories associated with riding, trailering, etc.
       
Rachel, our instructor, was not fazed by the tantrum.  She introduced Austen to Gracie, her horse.  She was shown how to get her own saddle blanket and saddle, and how to put on her vest and helmet.   Our first ride was brief but she did it!  I could see the pride of accomplishment in her eyes.  My little 65-pound girl was able to control a big ol' horse. 

Each week, I watch Austen's confidence improve.  She practices her "points" at home.  She loves to trot more than anything in the world.  The benefits of her boost in confidence have improved her social interaction in immeasurable ways.  Since she has been attending SpiritHorse, Austen speaks more relevantly and coherently.  She tantrums less often and is more socially appropriate.  Every Thursday is a happy day!