Vivian’s beginning was challenging, to say the least. Her mom, Jillian, moved into the hospital for the last three months of pregnancy in 2020, followed by Vivian spending her first two months in the hospital’s intensive care unit. Life was difficult for their family of five.
At three years old, she wore 18-month clothing. The low muscle tone she was born with, sometimes referred to as “floppy muscles,” was robbing her of the energy she desperately needed for the simplest activities like eating. Just existing was hard for Vivian.
Jillian knew about Little Bit because a family member had received Little Bit services. Vivian’s dad, Kevin, shared that Little Bit’s long history of serving the community gave them confidence. They turned to Little Bit for help with the biggest challenge—feeding. Vivian began Little Bit occupational therapy at three years of age, and she turns four in February 2025!
Jillian recalled that Vivian’s first ride at Little Bit was a lot for her to process. Her therapist, Sarah, COTA, noticed this, too, and paused Brunhilda so that she had time to think about what was happening. “Her eyes were sparkly; she looked like she was excited about what was going on,” said Jillian. In the beginning, Vivian was only able to sit up on Brunhilda with Sarah’s support, and the position of her hands indicated that she was feeling unsettled. Sarah dedicated the first couple of rides to helping her relax and focus on her core. Slowly, while Brunhilda took 1,500 to 2,500 steps in one session, Vivian began to relax. Today, she will move Sarah’s hand away in a show of independence!
Jillian continued, “When we started at Little Bit, she would sleep really hard on the day or so afterwards, then wake up and do something that she hadn’t done before, like say a new word. We can attribute it to Little Bit because there was nothing else that was different.”
Sarah noticed an immediate change, too. “On the very first day before she rode, she crawled across the therapy gym with one leg turned out. That same day, after Vivian’s brain and body experienced Brunhilda’s rhythmical and symmetrical movement, her body was able to crawl symmetrically, too, allowing her to explore even more. I really love watching Vivian after she rides Brunhilda; that is when she is most confident and independent.”
Vivian’s time in the therapy gym each week, after riding, gives a strong indication of her progress. For the first two weeks, she would barely enter the therapy gym. Each week, she’d go further in and begin to explore the equipment. Once needing to be carried from the arena to the therapy gym, she now walks independently, occasionally trying to head back to the arena to find Brunhilda.
“The highlight is how fast her development changed,” said Jillian. “Within a month at Little Bit, she went from appearing exhausted after eating two grains of rice to asking for more food and having bigger bites. Vivian’s core muscles have strengthened her ability to eat. Her whole digestive system is stronger thanks to her strong core muscles.”
Photo credit: Jillian Wallace
Jillian continued, “Within three months, she was climbing on objects. Her strength is impressive. Not even a year in, we have transitioned out of her leg braces and into boots with straps.” The first time she tried pretend play at home was after her first session at Little Bit. Jillian recalled, “she found something hard to put on her head, like a helmet, and said, ‘Go!’”
Sarah shared, “I’ve noticed that her increased strength has allowed her to take even bigger breaths and gather more air so that she can add more speech sounds. We went from Vivian not telling Brunhilda anything to taking both hands back past her shoulders and saying, ‘Go!’ which is a sign of her increased core strength. Her desire to communicate has increased, and she has new ways to engage with her family and her care team.”
Expressing confidence in Brunhilda and Little Bit horses, Kevin said, “They know their job, they know their business, they are so highly trained. Those two are in it together.” He paused and continued, “It offers one thing that’s a concern of mine. She might be becoming a horse girl. Now she spots horses and gets excited.”
When asked what she would like to say to Little Bit supporters, Jillian responded, “Thank you for giving Vivian enough energy to be playful and enough strength to grow.”
Vivian adds joy and love wherever she goes—how fortunate we are that she is a part of our community.
♥ Thank you to Vivian, Jillian, and Kevin for sharing their story with all of us.
Thank you to Vivian’s Little Bit Team.
Thank you to Steve Birds Photography.
Vivian's Story: A Little Bit Extra
Why is Little Bit Therapy so effective? Once Vivian’s desired skills, including body awareness and core strength, are identified, Sarah then uses Brunhilda’s movement to specifically target those skills. Afterwards, those skills are practiced again in the therapy gym because it’s similar to her other environments, like home. Sarah shared, “What really has made the difference for Vivian is that the stronger she gets through her core and shoulder muscles, the more she can manipulate her arms and hands for activities like dressing, play, and feeding. She has great fine motor skills; it’s really her strength that was holding her back.”
Little Bit therapists often refer to their patients’ nervous systems as becoming “organized” while on a horse, but what does that really mean? Sarah explains: “As an adult, imagine you’re having a rough day; you’re in a rush the moment you wake up, feeling unsettled, and just trying to pull yourself together. A lot of our patients feel that way each day, whether it’s due to information they’re getting from their body or their environment. Typically developing people are often able to change that by choosing an activity, such as going for a walk or talking with a trusted friend. Now think of the horse as a trusted friend. For Little Bit patients, the rhythmical movement, calm temperament, and steady heartbeat of the horse offers a way for their body to settle, to feel organized, and to focus. Vivian borrows the horse’s organization, mind, body, and calm presence. Once her posture is controlled and her nervous system is organized, we can move on to developing skills.”
