Contributing Author ~ Susan Brown
My two grandsons live in London – they can map a day trip on trains and the tube with practiced ease. But they had never had a close-up encounter with a real horse. Not until they met Courageous Connection’s mini-horse, Willow, who happily sidled up to the edge of the coral to ask for a scratch.
Thirteen-year-old Ethan is on the autism spectrum – very high functioning but generally not okay with new experiences and definitely not okay with animals. Isaac, a year younger and several lanky inches taller, loves everything on four legs but sometimes has trouble controlling his impulses. We weren’t sure how they would handle a meet and greet with CC’s patient therapy horses.
The introductions began with staff member Barb. When she offered to shake hands, Ethan shook his head and backed up. Not a problem. She smiled and turned to Isaac, who has no issue with formal greetings. Then came a casual tour of the farm, showing where hay, feed, and equipment are housed. They watched with interest as a farrier filed and trimmed Ari’s hooves. All at a distance.
And then they met Willow.
“She’s very friendly,” Barb assured them as the golden mini-horse ambled over to see what was going on.
The boys watched from several feet away as Barb reached over and scratched Willow’s back. The horse practically wiggled with pleasure.
“Do you want to get closer?” she asked. With the boys’ agreement, they went into the horse pen that opened to the pasture. Willow stayed close, clearly interested in meeting the people with the magic fingers.
“This is how you say hello.” Barb offered a closed hand to Willow who snuffled it. “She loves to be scratched. Her coat is very soft.” The boys watched as Barb gently ran her fingers over the horse’s side.
After a moment of cautious consideration, Ethan asked, “Can I touch her?”
With growing confidence, he and Isaac greeted the mini-horse and then reached out to scratch her back. Their smiles got broader.
“She really is soft,” Isaac’s voice held both surprise and delight.
In apparent bliss, Willow nuzzled the boys in turn and then wriggled her rump around until their fingers found just the right itchy spot.
There was more to come. Kathy Sanders, the president of Courageous Connections, brought Ari into the arena to meet the boys. Ethan and Isaac watched fascinated as Kathy guided the beautiful Arabian in a fast trot, her hooves beating and tail streaming.
Apprehension had nearly disappeared. The boys eagerly came forward to meet the much larger Ari. Like confident pros, they offered the horsey handshake and then, at Kathy’s invitation, stroked the horse’s soft sides. By the time the meet and greet ended, both Isaac and Ethan were wide-eyed and grinning.
On the way home, their father tentatively mentioned an equine therapy center near their London home that the boys had previously flat-out vetoed. Horses were too scary, too unknown. But now it was different.
A door had opened. An unexpectedly rich encounter built up my grandsons’ fragile confidence in navigating a complex world. They had made a connection and memory that will stay with them throughout their lives – the day they first greeted a horse.
Learn more about Susan Brown @ Susan Brown Writes
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