edward
02-12-2009, 07:31 PM
‘Horses are the therapists’
Turning Point Ranch owner, volunteers tell about how horses help
Jessica Jackson
Horses don’t go to medical school, but they turn out to be some of the best physical and mental therapists out there.
Horses helped a 10-year-old autistic girl begin speaking.
Horses helped make Matthew run and laugh for the first time at three, and horses help handicapped students develop muscles just to walk and sit.
These horses live and work at Turning Point Ranch and under executive director Tamera Danel, they provide therapy to the physically handicapped and at-risk youth.
“In therapy horseback riding, the horses are the therapists,” Danel said. “We just have to provide the horse, and the rest is magic.”
She said she first heard about therapy riding in 1995, but it took her a couple of years to get her ranch opened.
“I just think that was what I was put on Earth to do,” she said. “I just knew Payne County needed something like that.”
During a regular hour session, Danel said, clients ride horses around an arena and work on specific physical or mental abilities, like shooting basketballs into baskets or talking to the volunteers.
“It’s the actually movement of the horse that’s the therapy side,” she said. “Everything is physical, but the client doesn’t know that. It’s just fun.”
The riders develop a sense of confidence, bonding and, in some cases, responsibility.
Danel said her ranch also targets at-risk youth, who sometimes help care for the animals in addition to riding.
“Those kids have nobody to trust,” she said. “And it’s not me that they trust, it’s the horses.”
She said horses are intuitive beings and that’s what makes them particularly beneficial to at-risk kids.
“They sense when people are hurt. They really do,” she said. “It’s just pretty cool to watch it happen.”
Becky Miller, an Oklahoma State University sophomore, said she started volunteering last year and enjoys the impact therapeutic horseback riding can have.
“The first time I came out here was with little Matthew … and just seeing his face when he was on the horse,” she said. “I think it’s just seeing the change in the kids over time.”
Matthew’s mother had never seen him speak, run or laugh when they first came to Turning Point, Danel said. By the end of the first session, Matthew signed the words “horse” and “bye.” Before the following session, Matthew was running up to the car to go to the ranch, she said.
“By the time (Matthew’s mother) showed up, she was bawling,” she said. “There’s nothing more special than seeing the bond between the clients and horses.”
Danel said she isn’t sure what causes the animals to have such an impact.
“We don’t know. I can just tell you it works,” she said. “It’s not a coincidence. It’s real.”
Danel said volunteers make the ranch possible, but it can’t expand until she can find more.
“I know they’re sitting out there. I just haven’t found them,” she said.
Melanie Eick, special education teacher at Stillwater High School, said she brings four students to Turning Point each week. She said it’s good for her students to balance, follow instructions, work on verbal skills and to trust.
“And it gives them a sense of control,” she said. “For once, they’re telling something what to do.”
James Taylor, a 19-year-old student of Eick, said he enjoyed his ride Tuesday afternoon and liked commanding the horse.
“(I liked) walking around the cones, and when I said ‘whoa’ and ‘walk on,’” he said.
Jason Wright, 22, another of Eick’s students, joined Taylor Tuesday afternoon. He has been riding for about three years, Eick said.
“It’s just amazing,” she said. “There’s different reasons why different people use this.”
She said Wright develops better verbal skills and coordination when he rides. Wright waited patiently Tuesday for his turn on the horse, Jelly Bean. After his ride, he patted the horse on the head and said, “Good job, Horse.”
Turning Point Ranch owner, volunteers tell about how horses help
Jessica Jackson
Horses don’t go to medical school, but they turn out to be some of the best physical and mental therapists out there.
Horses helped a 10-year-old autistic girl begin speaking.
Horses helped make Matthew run and laugh for the first time at three, and horses help handicapped students develop muscles just to walk and sit.
These horses live and work at Turning Point Ranch and under executive director Tamera Danel, they provide therapy to the physically handicapped and at-risk youth.
“In therapy horseback riding, the horses are the therapists,” Danel said. “We just have to provide the horse, and the rest is magic.”
She said she first heard about therapy riding in 1995, but it took her a couple of years to get her ranch opened.
“I just think that was what I was put on Earth to do,” she said. “I just knew Payne County needed something like that.”
During a regular hour session, Danel said, clients ride horses around an arena and work on specific physical or mental abilities, like shooting basketballs into baskets or talking to the volunteers.
“It’s the actually movement of the horse that’s the therapy side,” she said. “Everything is physical, but the client doesn’t know that. It’s just fun.”
The riders develop a sense of confidence, bonding and, in some cases, responsibility.
Danel said her ranch also targets at-risk youth, who sometimes help care for the animals in addition to riding.
“Those kids have nobody to trust,” she said. “And it’s not me that they trust, it’s the horses.”
She said horses are intuitive beings and that’s what makes them particularly beneficial to at-risk kids.
“They sense when people are hurt. They really do,” she said. “It’s just pretty cool to watch it happen.”
Becky Miller, an Oklahoma State University sophomore, said she started volunteering last year and enjoys the impact therapeutic horseback riding can have.
“The first time I came out here was with little Matthew … and just seeing his face when he was on the horse,” she said. “I think it’s just seeing the change in the kids over time.”
Matthew’s mother had never seen him speak, run or laugh when they first came to Turning Point, Danel said. By the end of the first session, Matthew signed the words “horse” and “bye.” Before the following session, Matthew was running up to the car to go to the ranch, she said.
“By the time (Matthew’s mother) showed up, she was bawling,” she said. “There’s nothing more special than seeing the bond between the clients and horses.”
Danel said she isn’t sure what causes the animals to have such an impact.
“We don’t know. I can just tell you it works,” she said. “It’s not a coincidence. It’s real.”
Danel said volunteers make the ranch possible, but it can’t expand until she can find more.
“I know they’re sitting out there. I just haven’t found them,” she said.
Melanie Eick, special education teacher at Stillwater High School, said she brings four students to Turning Point each week. She said it’s good for her students to balance, follow instructions, work on verbal skills and to trust.
“And it gives them a sense of control,” she said. “For once, they’re telling something what to do.”
James Taylor, a 19-year-old student of Eick, said he enjoyed his ride Tuesday afternoon and liked commanding the horse.
“(I liked) walking around the cones, and when I said ‘whoa’ and ‘walk on,’” he said.
Jason Wright, 22, another of Eick’s students, joined Taylor Tuesday afternoon. He has been riding for about three years, Eick said.
“It’s just amazing,” she said. “There’s different reasons why different people use this.”
She said Wright develops better verbal skills and coordination when he rides. Wright waited patiently Tuesday for his turn on the horse, Jelly Bean. After his ride, he patted the horse on the head and said, “Good job, Horse.”