Published by the Hill Country Sun.
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May 2014
LOCAL INFORMATION & ADVERTISING
Groundbreaking equine therapy at RED Arena
O
By Laurel Robertson
n her second birthday, the neurologist told her parents she’d never walk on her own - not to worry about that right now and to focus on other things. “Then we stumbled across this thing called equine therapy,” explains her mom. “We brought her out for her first ride and after an hour on the horse, she got off and took her first steps over to my husband. She’d never walked before....” Now seven, the girl runs and jumps and still rides in the equine therapy program at RED Arena in Dripping Springs. RED stands for Riding Equines for the Disabled and the 20-acre facility on Bell Springs Road is one of a only a handful of programs in the Austin area that offers this groundbreaking therapy (also known as “hippotherapy”) for children and adults with physical and developmental
issues, including autism, Down’s Syndrome and head and spinal cord injuries. Sitting on a moving horse helps develop core strength, balance and coordination, says physical therapist and the director of RED Arena Jennifer Young. The rhythmic motion of the moving horse also calms the senses so riders can focus on eye contact and verbal communication, she adds. Learning to control an animal as large as a horse builds confidence and self-esteem in the rider. The smiles on the faces of the kids during their equine therapy sessions says it all. “A kid who uses a wheelchair all day looks just like every other kid when they’re on a horse,” says Jennifer. To help cover the costs of the $175/ hour therapy sessions astride a horse, the non-profit organzation raises money See RED ARENA, page 2
RED Arena rider Cadee. Photo courtesy RED Arena.
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