Meet Brielle, Our Featured Equestrian of the Week!

Our daughter Brielle is 5 years old and was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when she was 2 years old. Brielle is bright, happy, and extremely social. She very much enjoys being in the presence of others but struggles with many activities that come easily to other children. We have been running an intensive therapy program from our home for the past three years. As well, Brielle attends a school for children on the spectrum and also our local community preschool.

We have struggled over the years to find extracurricular activities that both suit Brielle's specific needs, and also ones that she enjoys and looks forward to amidst her busy schedule.

RTES was recommended to us by a family friend who at one point volunteered her time with the therapeutic riding program as a physiotherapist. Our intuition as prents was that initially introducing Brielle to a riding program may have been difficult but that with time she would likely very much enjoy this kind of activity.

Our first visit and introduction to riding was a bit rocky. Brielle always had difficulty with hats so our first big hurdle was to teach her that she had to wear a helmet. Our initial summer visits were, as expected, filled with a lot of crying and unhappiness around wearing safety equipment. Over the remainder of the summer, however, we were able to practice working with the helmet so that when we were ready to start riding again in the fall, it was no longer an issue. Once we were able to get Brielle safely ready to ride, everything else was a breeze. Brielle immediately formed a strong connection with her therapists and developed a great love of her horse Copper. Brielle learned quickly which day was a riding day, and eagerly looked forward to seeing her horse every week.

Now after almost a full year of riding, Brielle is able to independently select her safety equipment to get ready to ride. She eagerly greets her instructor at the start of each session and always walks out to the arena with a huge smile on her face. She is learning to follow direction while riding. She interacts socially with all of the volunteers involved, the other rider in her class, and loves every second she spends with the horses. She is learning how to trot and is just beginning to stand in the stirrups and to hold the reigns.

Overall, our experience with therapeutic riding has been wonderful, We have seen growth in Brielle that you cannot put a price tag on. Riding has become her most favourite activity and she is always so happy to go every week. As Brielle continues to grow and develop, we know that she will be able to take on more of an independent role in her riding sessions. Our dream, just like any parents dream for their child, is that Brielle finds something in her life that she loves doing and that makes her happy. Perhaps for Brielle, riding will forever be a part of her life, and for that we are eternally grateful!

Lindsay and Scott Yaworski