Where superheroes are born

Henriette Lamprecht The little boy's face beams as he gets the position on the horse's back just right. Proudly he lifts his right arm and left leg and shouts “Superman!”While his body struggles to get into the next position, he declares triumphantly “I don't give up that easily”.Sean is one of the riders at Vesta Burmeister's stables where she specializes in therapeutic horse riding also known as Equine Assisted Activity or Adaptive Riding, which is used for individuals with a range of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social disabilities and challenges.“You must be in tune with children. It takes a lot of your energy and yourself,” she explains as she shares her excitement and pride when a movement is done just right, high-fives dealt out in bountiful measure.Before the sessions start, Vesta has an informal cup of coffee with the child's parents. “I get as much information about the child as I can to know and understand them better.”It is important to put the right horse with each child, she says.“Horses are like people. Some like people, others don't. I train the horses for the purpose of therapeutic horse riding, so they are used to it.”She points to one of the horses, Savannah, which she says has a strong will of his own.“If he sees he can get away with something, he will try his luck! It has to be a very fine match with the child.”She sees up to 40 children a week who have either physical or mental disabilities, that range from a lack of concentration and a low self-image, to low muscle tone and problems with maths.The children start off without a saddle to give them confidence, Vesta explains.“They must know and feel where their legs must be. It is difficult to do it this way, but they must know exactly what to do with their body.”The focus is on the child and his or her needs; skills are a bonus.It is important for the children to know bad things happen, but one has to push through. “It teaches them self-control and perseverance, that they are worth it and can do it.”She admits it is a fine balance between being sympathetic and being strich. “If you fall off, it is done. Climb back up and show the horse who's the boss!”Vesta says that horses are really sensitive, feeling and absorbing the children's emotions and state of mind, thus making them so ideal to be used in therapy. “A study revealed the magnetic field around a horse and how it changes as it 'takes you in'. If a person has many walls, the horse will move away because he doesn't feel safe. If he doesn't feel warmth and openness, he will move away and you will not get a halter on him. It is a being that wants your being.”INDIRECT TEACHINGVesta's lessons are in an open, safe environment with the children being taught “indirectly”.She recalls a boy who lost his parents in a car accident, with the horses helping him to heal. “He had to step up and show the horse that it can't walk all over him.”Horses are like children and need to know where the boundaries are. “They must know where they are safe.”Her horses taught her respect, Vesta says.“Everyone means something to me, they are part of my soul. I can't get rid of them which is bad for my business, but good for my heart!”She is full of praise for her two helpers who have been with her for many years.“They connect with the horses. One is good with the animals, the other with the children. They interact with them and the horses are part of them too.” Vesta says that since individuals partaking in therapeutic riding have various needs, each lesson is structured to focus on improving that specific need. Also, each horse is carefully chosen for that individual. “A person with cerebral palsy with high muscle tone (spastic) will need a horse that has a narrow trunk so that the person is not stretched too much while sitting on the horse. The horse also needs to have a steady gait so that the horse's movement is not too bouncy which may cause the rider to have involuntary reflexes and make him go into spasticity.”The lesson also needs to be structured in such a way that the rider will be able to relax. Thus the appropriate games, exercises and activities are strategically planned and executed to the individual's needs.BENEFITS ABOUNDBenefits abound, with therapeutic horse riding based on the on the beneficial movement of the horse, says Vesta. “The three-dimensional, rhythmical motion of a horse stimulates and works the rider's muscles. The input to a rider from the horse's gait is almost identical to the human gait.”Consequently this motion stimulates and works the rider's muscles, providing the normal sensory-motor input of “walking” to the rider.Forming a partnership with 500kg animal can provide a tremendous sense of freedom and independence to individuals with various needs, while promoting feelings of trust and self-worth, Vesta says. In addition, exercises and tasks that would be dreary or considered a “chore” in traditional therapy settings become fun and game-like when they are part of a riding therapy session.“Being on a horse includes that fear factor which adds a completely different aspect. Riders focus so much on the horse and accomplishing the task that they are often unaware of the actual therapy they are doing.” When accomplishing these tasks it leaves individuals with an amazing sense of mastery.Horses reflect off of the rider and thus “mirror” the emotions or state the riders are in. “If you have an anxious or nervous rider, you will have an anxious and or nervous horse. This teaches riders self-awareness, self-control and also the awareness of how we are capable of influencing ourselves and our circumstances.”Horses also help people feel in control of their situation because there is a direct correlation between action and reaction.The student who interacts with their horse may extend this to others to form meaningful relationships with people. “Building a relationship with an animal is very rewarding in many aspects; for a person with an emotional, social or psychological disability, the trust and loyalty of an animal demonstrates how important they are and then they may extend these attributes to personal relationships.”The sometimes unpredictable nature of animals and situations also creates a real-life environment in which students can confront fears and make adjustments to situations beyond their control.Examples of specific lessons according to special needs, include lessons for attention deficit disorder, depression and cerebral palsy. Vesta's qualifications include a B.A.-degree in Sport Science as well as a B.A.-degree in Recreation Therapy from the California State University Northridge in 2008. • vesta@riding.cc; http://www.riding.cc

Where superheroes are born

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Republikein 2025-06-18

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Where superheroes are born

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