Eli, a Haflinger gelding, purchased from the Amish, was the horse chosen for this rider. He could handle almost anything without reacting adversely. Matching a horse with a rider can make all the difference in the success of the lesson, and safety is paramount.

Upon arrival, the rules and structure of the lesson were explained to her and her mother. She followed all directions for grooming, tacking and leading the horse into the arena, mounted, and quickly earned her independence steering Eli. The connection was instantaneous. She was a natural rider and a model student. Her mom observed with tears running down her cheeks and tissue in hand, not believing what she was witnessing, until it was time to get off.

The rider said, “No, I’m not getting off.” The instructors, apprehensive of what may happen next, sent for me. Mom sat wide-eyed watching the situation unfold, unmoving, with the tears instantly turning into mortification and fear. She did not intervene but watched helplessly as we applied our behavior strategies.

I told the rider it was the end of her lesson and that she had two choices. She could ride around the arena two more laps and then get down and help feed the horses, (I also reminded her that Eli was not happy when he missed his meals) or she could stay on the horse as long as she wanted but could not come back again if she didn’t follow the rules. My heart felt like it was throbbing in my throat and two laps felt like forever but allowed her time to think about her decision. At the end of the extra laps, Eli stopped at the gate and the rider got off without any further prompts or assistance. I breathed a sigh of relief as I was once again in awe of the power of the human-horse connection, and the healing aura that always seems to be present.

Many years later, Megan leading Bravo.

Choices are a necessary component for teaching cause and effect, judgment and critical thinking, as well as a feeling of control.

Many people on the Autistic Spectrum tend to have under or over reactions to sensation (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feels, movement). Motor planning and rational thought are dependent on sensory processing and integration. This dysfunction may be presented as behavioral issues that are difficult to understand or regulate. Others may have learned behaviors.

“Defense Mode” is a protective reaction to stressors which manifests as outbursts, defiance or shutdown. This is a “fight or flight” reaction of the sympathetic nervous system. A “sensory diet” is an individualized plan of physical activities and accommodations to help a person meet their sensory needs to stay focused and organized. It is regulated doses of specific sensory input, including movement (vestibular and proprioceptive), not food.

How does therapeutic horseback riding help?

At Centaur Stride, instructors are attentive to the body language of the rider as well as the horse, with ongoing assessment and adapting activities throughout the lesson. Although riding skills are the goal, lessons are individualized according to ability, sometimes as simple as steering the horse, or telling them to “whoa” or “walk on”. Structure is key but adaptability takes priority.

Riding a horse is like a sensory diet, with the input constantly changing based on the rider’s body language and responses. The brain is simultaneously processing information while dynamic physical activity is taking place at an automatic level. Survival instincts include automatic motor/muscular and protective reactions (to balance and not fall off the horse) and not influenced by cognitive thought. Riders have side-walkers and leaders as needed for safety. These instincts automatically turn on the areas of the brain for attention and focus which helps to reduce the impact of hypersensitivity to other input that may be overstimulating.

Once the “fight or flight” reaction is tempered, the parasympathetic nervous system gains more influence- the feel good, relaxing, pleasurable system that is stimulated by physical exercise and the calming rhythm and movement of riding a horse. It helps a person with autism come out of defense mode. Just like that! How extraordinary is it that the horse’s extrasensory perception seems to know just what is needed and when. If an instructor misses something about the rider, the horse doesn’t. They are the real readers of body language?

A centaur is the mythological creature that is half man and half horse. Centaur Stride is a winning combination of horse and man with a huge impact on wellness.

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Claudia Monroe is president of Centaur Stride.