The Benefits
Lucky Harvest is about overcoming limitations, leaving fears behind, and learning to ride. Riding a horse gives something very special to a person with disabilities, i.e. a sense of control and accomplishment. The feeling of achievement, which comes from riding a 1,000-pound horse, is strong medicine. Medically, the horse’s soothing rhythm, warmth, and three dimensional movement patterns provides persons with limited mobility the opportunity to exercise their back and trunk and pelvic muscles in a way that closely simulates walking.
The result is better flexibility, greater strength, and improved posture and balance. In addition, we achieve these results in a new and exciting way for people with disabilities who are tired of the routine of physiotherapy in a clinical setting. Mentally and physically, riding allows the rider to participate in a normalizing activity that yields for most, a greater sense of independence and empowerment. For the rider, self-confidence and self-esteem often grow right along with muscle strength.
While distinct limitations exist, therapeutic riding can offer a means for substantial improvement for people affected by amputations, autism, brain injuries, developmental delays, emotional disabilities, learning disabilities, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Prader Willi Syndrome, sight impairments, Spina Bifida, spinal cord injuries, stroke and many other conditions. For each disability there is a face, and for each face there is help; a horse, an instructor, and a program that will help them improve their quality of life.
The riders who participate in our program are frequently referred to us by doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other medical professionals, or simply by family members or friends who have heard of the benefits our program provides. We have received referrals from Ste-Justine’s Hospital, the Montreal Children’s Hospital, Le Centre de Readaptation de la Monteregie, as well as various CLSC’s.
Although most potential riders do not have any contra-indications that would prevent them from participating in our program, we do require a medical evaluation from his or her attending physician attesting to their ability to undergo equine therapy. The abilities, of each rider are as varied as the individuals themselves. Two riders who have the same diagnosis may have very different limitations and abilities, requiring very different programs. One of the advantages of therapeutic riding is that we can vary the exercises, games and the location used for each lesson to accommodate each rider’s needs.
The benefits of therapeutic riding are well documented medically. We have seen significant improvement in areas such as self-esteem, muscle tone and strength, balance, coordination, spasticity reduction, behavior, attention span, social awareness and language.
Currently we have the capacity to accept 30 riders into our program per week. There is no age restriction. We have worked with riders as young as 2 years of age, and we have had riders in their 60′s. Therapeutic riding can provide benefits to individuals of all ages.
