@reguspatoff2000 Therapy horses, especially those used with autistic and special needs children, are a very very special class of horse. They have normally been exposed to EVERYTHING you can think of including walking on large bubble wrap, having their tails yanked, ears yanked, bodies poked, legs poked, etc. Children, especially those with autism or special needs, can be a bit harsh though not intentionally, and horses in these programs are well trained to deal with that without any concern.
@reguspatoff2000 Children of regular learning, of course, I definitely agree with you. But autistic children are a different story entirely and in some cases retaining information is not applicable for the child, and in other cases telling the child not to do something (ie: standing behind the horse) can invoke a temper tantrum or cause the child to shut down and shun any additional contact from human or animal for quite a time. The horse is obviously relaxed and well versed in his obligations.
DON'T stand behind a horse ...
OR gently lead the child away from the back of the horse...
We don't know what mood the horse is in at any given time ...
He may be sick or have any other medical condition that day and can not relay that info to anyone ...
reguspatoff2000 6 months ago
DON"T stand behind a horse
reguspatoff2000 1 year ago
@reguspatoff2000 Therapy horses, especially those used with autistic and special needs children, are a very very special class of horse. They have normally been exposed to EVERYTHING you can think of including walking on large bubble wrap, having their tails yanked, ears yanked, bodies poked, legs poked, etc. Children, especially those with autism or special needs, can be a bit harsh though not intentionally, and horses in these programs are well trained to deal with that without any concern.
MicroOnTheGo 6 months ago
@MicroOnTheGo ... should STILL teach the kids not to stand behind a horse,,,
they may one day encounter a horse that ISN'T a therapy horse.
reguspatoff2000 6 months ago
@reguspatoff2000 Children of regular learning, of course, I definitely agree with you. But autistic children are a different story entirely and in some cases retaining information is not applicable for the child, and in other cases telling the child not to do something (ie: standing behind the horse) can invoke a temper tantrum or cause the child to shut down and shun any additional contact from human or animal for quite a time. The horse is obviously relaxed and well versed in his obligations.
MicroOnTheGo 6 months ago
@MicroOnTheGo ... OR they may enounter ANY horse that is irritable, maybe because of a medical condition..they can't talk to us :)
reguspatoff2000 6 months ago
This is a great video, he is so into his horse! I just started volunteering and am amazed how much some of the riders can improve in just a month.
What center is this? I volunteer at CARD.
WhippleBaby 2 years ago