Hippotherapy

I’m not as flowery and deep of a writer as Andie is.   If she were writing this post, I’m sure she’d be giving you a history and background of hippotherapy and the documented cases and results and so on and so forth.  I’m going to stick to the basics.  What I know, what I observed, and what I learned.

First off, I learned that hippotherapy is not, in fact, a counseling session for a hippopotamus.  So right off the bat, you are going into this with more knowledge than I had.

Tonight, I drove Gabriel out to a small ranch outside of Buffalo Gap called Camp Able.  It is secluded behind miles of trees, along an old dirt road at the base of a small mountain.  Farm cats and old sleepy dogs all over.  Baby goats and screaming donkeys, and of course, horses. It could not have been more Texas if it tried.  Right off the bat, it was very welcoming.  For me, anyways. Gabriel was a little more antsy about being there.  From the moment we got out of the car, he was upset.  He did not know this place, and he did not want to be there.

We get out of the car and walk up to the home.  I knocked on the door and asked for Renee.  We waited outside for Renee to join us.  All the while, Gabriel is very agitated.  He sees a small baby swing hanging from a tree branch and desperately wants to swing in it, even though his little seven-year-old bottom would not possibly fit in there.  So he’s pulling and yelling and plugging his ears, trying to run off and yank my arm out of socket.

After a moment, Renee comes out to join us.  Right away, I knew she would get along with Gabriel.  Every positive stereotype of a strong Texas grandmother wrapped up in one woman.  She introduced herself to Gabriel and kept a steady conversation with him, despite the fact that Gabriel was not exactly in a conversational mood. I resorted to hooking my hands under his armpits to try and keep him with us as we walked around for a while.

 She introduced him to one of the baby goats, and we stood and pet the little guy for a while.  Under normal circumstance, I believe Gabriel would have enjoyed this, but he was already in a crabby mood and wanted nothing more than to be out of the heat.  After a moment, Renee handed me a clipboard of paperwork to fill out asked if she could take Gabriel on her own for a while.

I must have appeared hesitant, because she immediately said, “I know you think I can’t handle it, but trust me, we’ll be just fine.”  Flustered, and amid visions of Gabriel yanking this poor woman to the ground and sprinting away, I reluctantly agreed.  I sat down and started filling out the basic informational papers while watching these two out of the corner of my eye.

She led Gabriel to an enclosed arena and shut the gate behind them.  She called out for me not to worry because it was a secure area and Gabriel would be free to wander.  On the far side of the fence, there was a small pond filled with turtles and frogs.  Gabriel immediately ran for the fence, kicked off his socks and shoes, and started attempting to climb the fence, intent on a swimming lesson.  Renee quickly took his hand and guided him down, walking along the fence with him.  I could not hear what they were talking about, but Gabriel seemed to enjoy it as he stopped yelling for a moment and started walking along the fence with her.

I finished the paperwork and followed them into the arena, where we sat Gabriel down and got his socks and shoes back on.  He was starting to get frustrated again, and Renee remarked that we probably got a daily workout trying to take care of him.  

One of Renee’s assistants came out with a small white-and-gray speckled horse named Lightning. I was having second thoughts, as Gabriel had resumed tugging on my arms and dead-weighting me whenever I tried to move him anywhere, to say nothing of the yelling and screaming that Andie and I have grown accustomed to when Gabriel was not getting his way.  

Lightning was adorned with a simple bareback saddle, little more than a blanket with straps to hold onto.  Renee took her place on the horse and then gestured for Gabriel to join her.  I gave Gabriel a 1-2-3-jump and placed him on Lightning.

And the most amazing thing happened.

It took no more than five seconds before a complete transformation took place.  Gabriel, only seconds before an agitated, screaming child; now calm, quiet, his eyes focusing on the horse below him, reflecting on what was happening.  Renee asked me to walk alongside them while they walked, just in case he started to freak out and needed to be let down.  And so, we began to walk.

Renee spoke in very soft, hushed tones to Gabriel.  She told him about the horse they were riding, about her assistants and family who helped out around the ranch.  She told him how proud she was of him, such a sweet little boy, and how much she enjoyed getting the chance to meet him.

It took no more than a minute before Gabriel was leaning back into Renee’s embrace, looking up at the sky and babbling softly and affectionately at her.  As his father, I was dumbfounded.  Never, ever, had I ever seen anything have such a direct and immediate affect on him.   We walked around that arena for fifteen minutes or so.  I watched as Gabriel calmly and sweetly enjoyed the movement of the ride, leaning into Renee and babbling sweetly at her as she spoke softly and gently to him in his ear.  

As the ride wound down and we approached the gate, no one told Gabriel that the ride was over and that he needed to say goodbye.  Nevertheless, as we approached the gate, Gabriel leaned over and gave Lightning a sweet kiss on the mane, and then wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face against her neck, giving her a gentle hug.  I had to take a second to compose myself.  Gabriel can be a very sweet and affectionate little boy, but it takes time.  Even when saying goodbye to family, getting a hug and a kiss out of him can take some cajoling.  And yet Gabriel connected with this animal the moment they made contact with each other, and established enough of a connection that Gabriel wanted Lightning to know how much he appreciated her.

It was a very touching moment.

We spoke for a moment about setting up another session for the same time next week, and then loaded up in the car and headed home.

I don’t know what it is about this experience that resonated with him, but I’ve never seen such a complete and immediate transformation in him before.  It is a bit early to tell, but I have a hunch that he is going to sleep very well tonight.

Me?  I find myself in awe.  It is easy, raising a child with a disability such as this, to become disillusioned with many of the things that other families might enjoy doing together.  Going to the movies, eating out a fancy restaurant, even walking around the park.  These are difficult or downright impossible for a family with a child like Gabriel.  We find other ways to grow closer together as a family, and for the most part we are happy and content.

To find a little piece of magic in an activity such as this, it is a humbling and sobering experience.

I’m looking forward to next week.

~Michael