[Ag-eq] anyone out there

[Nella Foster]

Jody:

I agree with you about the therapeutic riding centers.  I think they're 
great for people who need them.  I realize there are people who would never 
get to experience horseback riding if it weren't for the therapeutic places.

As I said before I took a few lessons at one here in Phoenix.  They didn't 
have  side walkers for me and I wasn't on a longe line.  They just had so 
many rules, some of which seemed unreasonable.  I've never been good at 
following rules!

The other thing was that they only offered classes on Monday, Tuesday, 
Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.  I had Mondays off, so this worked, but 
hen my schedule changed and it didn't.  Their scheduling said to me that 
they didn't expect most disabled people to work.

I really like the instructor I have now; she is very no nonsense and pushes 
me.  She gives riding lessons and also does some training.  She had my mule 
cricket in training for 2 months.  Cricket made a lot of progress and I feel 
a lot more comfortable with her.

Nella
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jody W. Ianuzzi" <jody at thewhitehats.com>
To: "'Agricultural and Equestrean Division List'" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 7:56 AM
Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] anyone out there


> Hi Nella,
>
> I think that many people can benefit from therapeutic riding.  It was
> developed for people who can't walk and it gives them freedom and balance
> they didn't have before.
>
> I think that many therapeutic centers go too far to say they are for all
> disabled people.  My daughter actually works for a therapeutic center and
> she describes some students who are so severely retarded they aren't even
> aware they are on a horse.  Another student could care less about riding 
> he
> just wants the pizza his mom gets after the lesson so he keeps repeating
> 'pizza' throughout the lesson.
>
> Many therapeutic centers operate on grants and they are looking for as 
> many
> disabled people as they can to stay in business.
>
> Blind students don't have a need for a sidewalker for balance and they can
> ride just as well as anyone sighted can.
>
> I bristle when someone suggests therapeutic riding because my goal is 
> barrel
> racing not a glorified pony ride.
>
> Maybe therapeutic would be good for some people just not me.
>
> JODY
>
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