Steve Inskeep hosts National Public Radio’s Monday Health Tip. It only lasts a couple minutes but always has something interesting for pet lovers. Recently Julie Rovner reported that Owning A Pet Can Be Good For Your Health.  Specifically she reported on a number of different ways pets contribute to kids’ health, especially kids that are at risk. It skipped around to a number of different settings and authorities but I want to focus on just one of them – Horses and Children.

A few years ago I had the pleasure of touring the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, California.  The HWAC is located adjacent to a lot of horse breeders who race their animals at the California tracks. They have extensive veterinary services for horses at HWAC. We were actually there to see the small animal programs but were shown the entire facility. They provide Animal Therapy with horses to children and adults with cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, autism, stroke recovery and learning or language disabilities.

Certified instructors train horses and 3-4 volunteer side walkers accompany every child for added safety. Riders benefit by developing increased balance and muscle control, increased strength, improved concentration and short-term memory, as well as improve their confidence and self-esteem. If you watch their moving video of a morning of therapeutic riding, I think you’ll agree that the kids are having fun and acquire a sense of accomplishment in addition to improving motor skills and language development. Its amazing to see how children relate so well and are so excited about a 1200 pound animal. They don’t seem to have any fear.

The sessions arent free but the families involved have plenty of medical bills to deal with so scholarships are available and HWAC is always happy to have donations for therapy. It’s just one dramatic way that pets help kids.

http://www.animalcenter.org/therapeuticriding/