Family Focus

Our journey began with Special Equestrians in 2012 with my oldest son who was 4 at the time and diagnosed with Autism, non-speaking. It transformed his life in ways that I cannot give justice to by explaining. I heard his tender voice for the first time during his initial encounter on a horse. He gently touched the horse’s neck and said “Baby”. At that moment I realized what remarkable and amazing creatures’ horses are and furthermore how blessed my son Adam was to have that opportunity. Today, a number of years later, Adam has two siblings. One developing typically and the other with a medically complex diagnosis. All 3 children are riders at Special Equestrians. I always like to say that they are part of the Special Equestrian Family. I have never ever encountered more kinder people than the volunteers who serve the clients at Special Equestrians. They are so committed to helping children with special needs, who are under served and who may ordinarily not be fortunate enough to have these awesome experiences, such as; being in nature, at a beautiful stable with the horses, riding the horses, learning to feed, care and groom them in the barn, etc. It has all been life changing for my children. The lessons that they have learned while being at the barn are endless, the benefits of Equestrian Therapy are immeasurable and most importantly the lessons that the Horses have taught all of the riders are infinite. My daughter Sofia is an 8-year non-ambulatory child in an assistive device. I’ve have seen her enter the barn and as she has approached the stalls, the horse’s sense that a child who has extra needs has come to visit them. They often greet her by bowing their heads and showing her love. This is just one example of the many that I can offer to share our story with you. The sense of calm and peace that she feels when seeing them is unexplainable. I am forever grateful for the opportunity for my children to have this experience. Thank you, Special Equestrians, for serving our children and providing the life changing experiences that you have gifted our family with.