At least one morning a week, it’s easier for Malcolm and Joel to get up and start their day. They arrive at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center full of anticipation. Diana, their Instructor certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH), greets them and, like many of their classes, they start by completing a short walk around the property. Diana shares interesting facts and jokes to remind Malcolm and Joel that she believes in their intelligence and also to help them be calm. Spending some of their energy first allows them to quiet their bodies before riding. Both in their teen years, Malcolm and Joel are intelligent people with autism who often find it difficult to connect their bodies with their thoughts.
Kari (left), Joel (middle)
Joel first arrived at Little Bit at the age of eight for hippotherapy and continues to be non-speaking. Kari, Joel’s mom, noticed a positive change in Joel from the beginning. After a month of hippotherapy, he could put on his own socks and his core strength improved quickly! Given Joel’s hypersensitivity, especially around his head, his ability to put on a helmet each and every visit is yet another positive effect. Today, as an adaptive rider, he can turn his head towards whomever is speaking to him, often making “amazing” eye contact. Each ride helps with his ability to understand, plan, and carry out a skilled act in the correct sequence from beginning to end. Kari elaborates by stating that adaptive riding gives Joel “real purpose for following directions, such as ‘Look at letter K [on the arena wall]’ while steering his horse.” Even their unmounted lessons, held when the temperatures didn’t allow riding to take place, provided great opportunities for following two or three-step directions during activities like grooming their horses.
Kari continued, “As a parent, everyone was telling me all the things that Joel could not do. When we arrived at Little Bit, they really believed in him. They all respected him and me as a parent and asked me to be involved. . . Little Bit staff and volunteers seem happy to see us and work with us . . . Once a week there was a place that we could go that believed in Joel—this hasn’t been our experience everywhere . . . When someone uses language that expresses ‘we believe in you’ you get different results. Our kids pick up on attitudes.”
Malcolm (right)
Malcolm first arrived at Little Bit in 2017 at the age of 14 for adaptive riding. According to his dad Chris and stepmom Nicola, one of Malcolm’s greatest challenges is “getting people to understand what he wants and needs. It’s been a long time since Malcolm has had a meltdown. He is much happier and satisfied now, as compared to two years ago.” Today, Malcolm has even added creative dance classes to his weekly schedule!
Acceptance comes from Little Bit horses, too. Chris and Nicola believe that Malcolm’s current horse, Rosie, is the first animal he has shown a true bond with, possibly because she responds to him. There is a partnership there—a give and take. She seems genuinely glad to see him each class, extending her nose to him, and in turn, Malcolm likes giving Rosie carrots and scratches. Besides their bond, Rosie has a lot of swing in her walk, providing sensory input for Malcolm. He has built a true relationship with his horse that is bigger, stronger, and faster than he is- a horse he was once hesitant to pet and feed.
Today, Joel rides Molly, a sensitive mare, and they, too, have formed a bond to the extent that Joel can sense when Molly is not feeling normal. During class, Diana sets up cones in the arena, and Joel has learned to use his body to help steer Molly, opening a whole new way of riding for him. He turns his head, shoulders, and hips and applies slight pressure through his legs. Kari continued, “Working with the horses makes Joel feel ‘accomplished’ . . . As a parent, when you see your child overcome fears, it’s amazing!”
Diana (left), Malcolm (right)
Diana begins each class with a plan but quickly adjusts to the boys’ needs on that day. She spoke about her experience teaching Malcolm and Joel. “Adaptive riding is a way for them to feel a sense of autonomy with the ultimate goal for them to ride independently: unclipped and steering by themselves . . . I really feel honored to be able to teach them. They have taught me about slowing down, the value of being in the moment, and the importance of paying attention to everything that is happening.” The boys learn through experience how horses respond and what their horses’ limitations are—lessons that can be applied to their interactions with people. Diana, Kari, Chris, and Nicola look forward to the day when they can ride without a horse leader.
Communicating with a child or adult who is non-speaking presents many challenges to overcome. Their body language does not always accurately represent what they are feeling. For example, Kari said, “If you give Joel two choices, he sometimes points to the one he doesn’t want.” He began using a letterboard in 2016, a tool to help him communicate with others by spelling his wants and needs but also to convey his intelligence, emotions, and everyday thoughts. Today, Joel can complete grade level academics and have full conversations. Suddenly, a door opened to greater learning opportunities, less frustration, and stronger relationships. When Kari sidewalks next to him and Molly during an adaptive riding class, she carries his letterboard. Joel spells out words he wants to convey, and Kari reads them aloud. At Kari’s suggestion, Chris and Nicola recently introduced Malcolm to using a letterboard, and his use of this new tool continues to improve.
Joel (left), Kari (middle), Diana (right)
A very special friendship has formed between Malcolm and Joel, another reason everyone looks forward to their adaptive riding classes. Since being introduced in 2018, Joel has become Malcolm’s first true friend, and their friendship is one of the things that Diana focuses on during class. Like many Little Bit riders and patients, their favorite activity is a trail ride, a time to find and notice things in the outdoors. Doing exercises in parallel allows the boys to connect with each other; they play leapfrog while riding their horses around the outdoor track, making great eye contact with each other. At the end of their class, together they return their bridles to the tack barn and prepare their trays of carrot treats for Rosie and Molly.
When asked to share a message to donors who make Little Bit experiences possible for Malcolm, Joel, and so many others, Kari said, “As a parent, I have a tremendous amount of gratitude to those that donate. I believe Little Bit is a beam of hope in the lives of people with special needs . . . Their time at Little Bit helps them be healthier, have a greater quality of life, and be more independent, and therefore require less costly care as adults. I wish everyone who donates could see their smiles. There can’t be a price tag on hope.” Joel replied to a similar question, using his letterboard, by saying, “I want donors to know that I am grateful to them because their gift is their way of believing in me.”
Thank you to Malcolm, Joel, Kari, Chris, Nicola, and Diana, for sharing their story.
Written by Sharon Soldenwagner
