Zed lives in a world few outside the realms of psychiatrists and professional carers understand. It is a world of obsessive habit, has few channels of communication with our world and is one of solitary confinement to its inhabitants. He is autistic.
Three years ago he met Ashir, half a ton of 30 something grey horse. Since then they have developed a relationship that challenges credulity.
Previously unable to relate to people — or they to him — Zed has an empathetic connection with Ashir. It is plain that Ashir returns the understanding. Quite what happens between boy and beast and why it does no one has explained, but something special does.
After three months of twice-weekly meetings with Ashir Zed leads him to the mounting block and clambers unaided onto the saddle. There he shouts cheerfully — an echolalic autistic who repeats exactly what you say to him in English and Arabic — and gestures that he wants to get on with the exercises he loves.
“Since Zed began riding, a new joy has entered his life,” said Allison Macoll, his mentor. “It has affected other areas of his life profoundly; communicative skills, relationships and physical.”
In the arena they go through the set of movements that have developed Zed’s muscles and brought on the surge of mental activity and, against all expectation, laughter. “It’s therapy disguised as fun,” commented Judy Houry, a qualified therapeutic riding instructor who founded and heads Open Skies Therapeutic Riding Days in Jeddah.
That riding horses benefits severely disabled people has been known about for over two and a half millennia. So well recognized is it that in the US it is heavily funded and claimable on medical insurance.
In Saudi Arabia the program is unique to Open Skies. Houry is supported by volunteer helpers of all nationalities and the British community. Welcomed at Al-Aseel Equestrian Center last year, Open Skies uses an arena and facilities for the disabled riders and their families. “My dream is to see this invaluable therapy that gives so much to those who have difficulties fully funded,” mused Houry. “Our volunteers and supporters, Saudi and expatriate, are wonderful, selfless people but these children need long term security and continuity to get the maximum benefit.”
Ashir, completely happy with Zed tossing hoops and catching soft balls lowers his head, crosses his front legs and snoozes. The elderly horse has been carrying children such as Zed for ten years now; he has seen it all before. So taken is he with his young charges that if an able rider boards him, Ashir gives him a very tough time.
“Zed still lives mainly in a world of his own,” observed Houry. “Here he breaks out for a while.”
Since meeting Ashir, Zed now learns very quickly. He has learned his own name, those of the horses and the people working with him. He has even started talking. “This is much more than he could do before he met the horse,” Houry said. “It has helped develop his speech and his memory and, in conjunction with his carer Alison and her work, he has come on enormously.”
Zed, as with most autistic people, copies exactly. He quickly learned to steer Ashir, but teaching him to kick the flanks of the horse with two feet rather than one proved a challenge. “If we stood on one leg and demonstrated, Zed would kick with just one,” Houry mused. “Now he rides solo and negotiate the various obstacles and progressed from a walk on the end of a lead rope to an independent trot which he thoroughly enjoys.”
Houry said Zed was now much more self-possessed and goes about the business of unsaddling and rewarding Ashir with handfuls of carrots. He is now learning to brush the horse’s coat and to take care of him. The benefits Zed has derived from his riding have carried over into other areas of his life. Motor skills have vastly improved to the extent that he now plays tennis and can swim. “It has added immense value to his life,” said Houry.
This year researchers from the Washington University Program in Occupational Therapy, published the results of a year-long study on the therapeutic impact of equine therapy for children with cerebral palsy. The team used an electric horse, a computer controlled motorized barrel to mimic the motion of a horse and videoed the riders to measure the changes in motor control, which the patients might have been learned on a real horse. They saw real improvements. The research team plan random clinical trials on the technique which, if successful, put the efficacy of hippotherapy entirely beyond doubt.
Omar is physically disabled but frequently refuses crutches to walk. When he falls, which he does every few steps, he simply bursts into laughter, scrambles up and has another go. “He made it to the mounting block recently — maybe 10 meters — it was furthest he has ever walked,” reflected Houry.
“He is utterly determined to clamber aboard Badr — an ex-polo pony — whom he adores.”
Houry confided that Omar had derived tremendous joy from his riding, his muscles had strengthened and his balance improved hugely as his walking demonstrated.
“His personality, full of fun and laughter, has changed dramatically for the better.”
Even very young severely disabled children benefit from being introduced to a horse. Simply watch the effect on a tiny girl like Amal who, unable to walk or even sit up without assistance, lies face down sprawled stiffly over the back of a horse.
“It’s a spiritual experience; in one or two minutes of the horse moving, her body relaxes and softens and she relaxes,” said Houry. When the horse is led at the walk, the motion moves the tiny rider’s internal organs in a way that mimics walking causing her muscles to work instinctively to balance. “And she smiles!” said Houry who has her own opinion as to why the mental and emotional benefits flow from riding.
“In a wheel chair everything is done for you and you look up the whole time. On a horse, your world changes — you have to control yourself and the animal. The child is suddenly doing something that his brothers and sisters can’t do; they encounter self respect at last.”
The Washington produced empirical evidence for the benefits of the physical associations with their barrel-horse. About the benefits of the relationship the rider develops with the horse? That we may never know.
No wonder the children smile; perhaps it’s the discovery of self-respect. Anyway, you can’t feed carrots to an electric horse.
