When I was little I desperately wanted a horse, and thought that it was just going to happen.  My aunt had one when she was little, so obviously I would get one too.  I had tons of  horse toys and My Little Pony’s, plus, our garage was once the horse stable and chicken coop to an old estate, so we already had a place for it to sleep.  So what was the hold up?!  Well, I never actually rode a horse until I was like 10, and let’s face it…horses are a lot of work, and a lot of money.  Sorry mom and dad for pestering you!

To my inner child’s delight, miss Logie Poo can live out my childhood dream!  And I could not have hand picked a sweeter horse, and a more caring crew.  Logan is truly in love.

We have been doing hippotherapy for about a year, and I cannot recommend it enough!  It has done wonders for Logan, for everything from her posture to her temperament.  It has given her the confidence to trust her own body, to let her body feel the rhythms it needs to be independent.  It has also been a very soothing outlet for her.

The 30-40 minute weekly sessions are pretty routine.  We put on her helmet and Margie (the lead therapist) holds her hands and walks her over to the steps (I think it is an actual child’s picnic table).  Once she is at the top Daisy is patiently awaiting her arrival.  Logan greets Daisy with a few strokes and giggles, then she is helped onto the saddle.  You can see the excitement in her eyes, and you can usually hear it through an excited shriek!  And, I usually have wild man with me, so he shows his excitement (and energy) as well.  Fun for all!

They start off having Logan push a button that actually says, “Go Daisy, Go!”.  We are working on sounds that you typically think of when you hear someone try to get a horse moving (sorry, I just cannot type what they are!), and they are coming along.  The first few laps filled with lots of singing, to get Logan used to everything.  Logan LOVES music, and luckily these women have fun songs AND are great singers 🙂

There are often obstacle courses set up along the way to work on fine motor skills.  Logan does not like to hold onto things for very long, which makes it quite a workout for them.  For the past few months they have been working on Logan standing up in the stirrups.  This is hit or miss, but not because she can’t physically do it, but because she may or may not be interested in doing it.  Did I mention she was stubborn??  The ladies are fantastic when she stands up.  They cheer for her and make her feel like she really accomplished something 🙂

Logan has also been doing some fancy tricks on Daisy!  They weave in and out of cones, walk over platforms, and Logan is even doing some Cirque du Soleil type moves 😉  She has been riding backwards (this helps her to use her upper body for support and balance), and has just started riding “like a lady” (side saddle).  She’s not too sure about this one.  It is the cutest and sweetest thing when she passes by us in these positions.  She is often giggling when backwards, and she almost always glances over to us to see if we are watching, smiling ear to ear.  I try to never miss her coming by, but it’s not always easy with a very energetic and curious 2 year old.

The session ends with her usually getting off, then holding the reigns and walking Daisy over to the starting point.  Then, Daisy is given a well deserved treat, and a quick little brush.  This may be the only time when Wes is silent.  He is mesmerized by Daisy’s teeth!

We are on hiatus at the moment, but will start back up in February when the weather gets a little bit better.  I know Logan is excited!

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