After a week of having rain in the afternoon, my daughter was finally able to begin her Hippotherapy sessions. I was ecstatic as always to see how anxious she was in wanting to ride. Though, she started the session with a little humor. Her therapist and her daughter, who is leading the horse, already had the horse saddled and ready to go when we got there. My daughter calmly walked up to the horse and started to pet him.

She looked down at the ground and immediately picked up brown clumps asking, “What’s this?”

Her therapist replies calmly, “Horse poo.” I bit my lip trying not to laugh, but at the same time thought oh gross!

She instantly drops the poo and starts wiping her hands on her shirt saying, “Ew, poo! Nasty poo!”

I immediately reach for her arm, telling her calmly that we need to wash our hands now. After she was all clean she pointed to the horse, asking if she can ride. Her therapist pointed out where the horse’s mouth, nose, and eyes were before sitting my daughter on top of the horse. She then learned to make nice, calm strokes on the horses neck and not hard slapping pats.

I watch her ride around the corral in one big circle, before riding off behind a house into a shaded pathway. The lead stopped the horse as the therapist began asking her questions, having her repeat words. Then they played toss the ring on a pole after her therapist asked her what the color of each ring was. The lead then had the horse stop in the middle of the circle where the therapist picked up some flash cards and began asking her what was on each card. This went on for an hour.

After the session my daughter seemed happier and asked if she could ride again. I told her she will, though she would have to wait until next week.