Making Great Progress For the Kids
Riding High In The Saddle
Horse therapy is one of the 6 ways we help the kids at the ranch. Kids with autism and developmental challenges bond with the horses while kids with mobility challenges get out of their wheelchair and up onto the back of the horse where they enjoy an elevated view of the world.
Through equine therapy autistic kids bond with horses. From hugging, brushing, and patting the horses an autistic child can experience acts of care and affection which helps them to develop emotional bonds which are transferable to their interactions with friends and family members.
Riding horses also moderates behavioral disorders through the rhythmic movements of the horse which can soothe the child and relieve them of their frustration because the horses are slow and steady, presenting a calm temperament.
Equine therapy has the added benefit of giving the boys at the ranch an opportunity to practice responsibility as they pursue a purpose. They bond while growing together in service of younger kids in need.
In the video above, Sue explains the specific details of how horses provide physical therapy to help the bodies of the kids confined to wheelchairs.
Horses are a central part of what we do at His Wings Ranch. We currently have five horses at the ranch including two baby horses who are on track to becoming future therapy horses. Chonita, Alba and Saphira are the three active adult horses that do the heavy lifting in terms of therapy.
Just this past year we were blessed by the addition of our new tack room which provides a large, clean, safe and organized place to keep saddles, bridles, pads, feed, helmets so we can serve the kids. A special thank you to the volunteers who built it in memory of Reverend Don Jones.
Thanks to Northern Arizona University!
They made it! This was the first time a University group stayed on the property and if you saw last month’s post, they slept in the fabulous bunk beds build a few weeks before their arrival.
Dave is a professional Wheelchair Adaptive Equipment Specialist who not only brought 3 wheelchairs but through his expertise was able to modify a dozen more. His expertise in combining parts from different chairs resulted in new functioning chairs for 15 kids. Thanks Dave!
Adan was one of the beneficiaries. He needed a new set of “wheelie bars” so he could nimbly lean back and spin around in his chair because that’s what you do to explore your world as a teenage boy. Adam was ecstatic!
Dave customized this chair to fit 18 month old Alexis. His Mother Carla was absolutely thrilled to have a sturdy muti-functional chair that will grow with Alexis for years. Thanks again Dave!
Thanks to your support these are the leg brace options and sizes now available to select from to help the kids walk. Every child has a different support need as well as brace size to support their legs. To make things more challenging even after we set them up with the perfect brace the kids grow out them requiring a bigger size of the same brace. With dozens of kids using these services it’s easy to see why it’s necessary to have an even wider selection.
Lucky for us pediatric physical therapist Annie was available to give a workshop to the His Wings staff on how to select, customize and fit braces so that our staff can provide the maximum therapeutic benefit for the kids in need.
Braces like these allow Yolanda to walk on her own at age 5, something most kids take for granted.
Annie also setup a sliding transfer board for Melinna to help her move from her wheelchair to a couch or bed all by herself. It’s a big step in providing independence as she enters her teen years.
Meanwhile outside on the Ranch we were blessed by Melanie, a professional horse therapist who trained our staff in how to assist the kids using new therapy techniques. Just a footnote that horse therapists are very rare as are wheelchair specialists. We had the double fortune of this wonderful married couple Dave and Melanie to be able to fulfill both duties simultaneously during their visit.
And for those who followed the work completed last month on the bunk beds, here are the Northern Arizona University students and staff making use of the new beds in the three blue casitas where they stayed during their visit.
How Your Donations Help
Have you ever wondered how His Wings Ranch operates and what happens with your financial support?
His Wings Ranch is a volunteer organization that truly operates based on collaboration. We don’t have paid coordinators or professional fundraisers, just regular people like you. Those involved choose to give their time, talent and finances to assist. (Including the website and newsletters – all volunteered). They have felt inspired to help by witnessing both the kids needs and Sue’s response and success.
As an example, portable classrooms were donated by Horizon Church and then the material to refurbish them was donated by Serving Hands International. More volunteers drove down to paint and repair them as well as build wheelchair ramps to access each building.
When you give financially or through your time know that you are truly partnering with other individuals just like you who multiply your support with their own. His Wings Ranch is truly an inspiring organization with a heart of gold making a tremendous difference to the lives of kids right where it is needed most through regular people just like you.
