When an Encounter With a Horse Led to Equine Therapy for My Daughter

I’d like to tell you how this encounter with this horse led to my daughter being able to go to horse therapy. A childhood friend and I reconnected after an almost 20-year absence, all thanks to Facebook. I visited her in March. I had so much fun in those two short days I was with her that I had to come back with my daughter, Princess, in June.

We had a fantastic time. One of the things we did was visit some horses. Princess was in hog, err, horse heaven. My friend saw this. She encouraged me to see about getting her enrolled in horse therapy. I knew the only way I could really make this happen was to get the school involved. Fortunately, the school Princess attends has partnered up with a horse ranch. In October at my child’s annual IEP, I asked about equine therapy. I was told it was a possibility and that her therapist thought my daughter would benefit from it.

Today my daughter was able to participate in equine therapy. There were some bumps along the way. I’m told that she really tried to listen and learn from the animal handlers. I’m also told that she only needed to use sanitizer once and only checked on her boots once. Tactile issues are something that can ruin my daughter’s day. She may or may not have had some words with a boy. She was sleep-deprived because she forgot to take her evening meds. She soldiered on.

She came home with a tired, crooked smile. I know she’s excited for all she will be learning. So am I.

Follow this journey on Raising a Drama Queen.