Physical effects

Six parents pointed towards the physical effects as being the most noticeable effects that the riding has had on their children. These effects include effects to posture, strengthening of muscles and improvements in muscle tone, balance, and walking abilities.

One of the most prominent and recurring physical effects of therapeutic horseback riding mentioned by the parents was the effect that it had on their children‟s posture and core stability. Many of the children began horseback riding at SARDA and were very unstable and limp on the horse, whereas they can now sit upright and are more aware of their bodies.

…now she‟s got the most beautiful posture. (Hannah)

I would say for the last…the last 3 to 4 years of his riding he sits absolutely upright the entire lesson, you know. (Stella)

…with his physical, the physical side of it you can see. He‟s more erect on the horse, he was quite floppy at first. So you can you can see that there‟s…with the posture, his

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posture, there‟s a significant improvement. He‟s erect, he can control his body more…

(Rachel)

…she still likes to flop and lean but there‟s a lot more core stability. (Hannah)

For the parent whose child has Cockayne syndrome, the aim is to get him to sit upright due to his slightly curved spine. She has found that horseback riding has been particularly helpful in this regard. For another parent, a change in horse allowed her daughter to develop great posture; the first horse she rode was too big and lulled her to sleep whereas now she rides a different horse and sits perfectly with great posture.

They suffer a lot with their chest, so to try and keep them upright and his back as straight as possible is our main intention at the moment. Um so that‟s why horseriding‟s also good cuz he‟s gotta sit up. (Lindy)

And that‟s the nice thing about horseriding, is it encourages this beautiful posture. […] And on Amos she‟s got like this beautiful posture again… (Kate)

Alongside an improvement in posture, and a possible cause of improvement in posture, is the strengthening of the children‟s muscles. Some parents noted that there had been improvements in their children‟s muscle tone. One parent‟s son has very tight legs and

is unable to walk, therefore his muscles in his legs do not get stretched. The therapeutic horseback riding aids in stretching his muscles in his legs in a way that they are unable to do so at home. For another parent whose child has very low muscle tone, the therapeutic

horseback riding has strengthened it. Therapeutic horseback riding therefore has an effect on both high muscle tone and low muscle tone.

So it [therapeutic horseback riding] widens his legs up which is great, which we wouldn‟t normally be able to do at home. (Lindy)

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If he doesn‟t ride for a while and then we go back you can see he actually does stiffen up if he doesn‟t have the riding. So I think having the riding every week definitely um helps with that, cuz we do do physio. But like I said especially cuz the horse is wide we getting that stretch that we wouldn‟t normally. (Lindy)

…he had very low muscle tone for a very long time, and that‟s improved

enormously.”(Stella)

With this strengthening of muscles comes improvement in balance and the ability to ride alone; many of the children began horseback riding lessons with sidewalkers and now these are no longer necessary as they can balance alone on the horse. Two of the children no longer require sidewalkers, and one parent‟s son now only has one sidewalker. Balance also

gives the children greater ability to do the activities that they are required to do on the horse.

And you know obviously going from a leader and two sidewalkers to just someone who‟s leading the horse now, you know all of that has been remarkable. (Stella) …the riding has helped a lot with her balance. I‟m convinced about that. (Caitlin)

Improvement in walking abilities is possibly an effect of improvements in muscle strength, as well as an effect of the actual movement of the horse. For two of the parents, an important physical effect of the therapeutic horseback riding has been improvement in their children‟s abilities to walk.

And other people that hasn‟t seen him in a while. Like my friends, and they see him, and they so shocked because he‟s walking more, he can he used to take like one two steps. Now he…he can walk across this field. (Rachel)

We‟ve gone from a child who‟s not walking to a child who is…and gained some independence. (Miriam)

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There‟s a girl she‟s got spinal bifida, and she came…I dunno but she can walk, and she was unable to do that. (Rachel)