Throwback: Indy as a Therapeutic Horse

 I mentioned yesterday that Indy had been used by the Champaign Park District as a therapy horse. Here is a throwback post about that that I thought you might enjoy.

Indy was one of those horses that enjoyed people and never pinned his ears, nipped, bit, or kicked. So, when my friend Linda Duesterhaus was exploring starting a therapeutic riding program, she asked me if she might be able to use him as one of the mounts for it.

I had a few questions (insurance was one, in case someone got hurt), but Linda was able to answer them to my satisfaction and so I gave her the green light to borrow him and Sugarfoot, my kids' pony.

I got to help train Indy for the program. We put him into the paddock and rolled wheelchairs around him, we limped around on crutches, bumped into him with both wheelchair and crutch, made lots of noises, sudden movements,  jumped around... anything we could think of that might  happen while he was being ridden and startle him.

Indy passed with flying colors, and Linda's program began.

I actually have this photo framed somewhere in my closet of photos and albums. I have been poking around in there and looking for it, as it is one of my favorite pictures ever taken of Indy. (The other is the one in a previous blog entry where he has three kids on his back.)

We made the front page of the Features section.

I didn't realize that the story continued on another page when I took the photographs of the article. Oops! I'll have to get back into the closet and see if I can't find part two.

It was really meaningful to be a part of Linda's program. It melded two of my great loves, kids and horses together, and made a difference in the lives of those who attended.

Writing about Indy has made me teary a time or two - he was such a nice horse. I keep his old stall nameplate hanging in my office where I can see it every day, and when I do, I cannot help the smile that spreads across my face.

Indy as a Therapeutic Horse

Indy was one of those horses that enjoyed people and never pinned his ears, nipped, bit, or kicked. So, when my friend Linda Duesterhaus was exploring starting a therapeutic riding program, she asked me if she might be able to use him as one of the mounts for it.

I had a few questions (insurance was one, in case someone got hurt), but Linda was able to answer them to my satisfaction and so I gave her the green light to borrow him and Sugarfoot, my kids' pony.

I got to help train Indy for the program. We put him into the paddock and rolled wheelchairs around him, we limped around on crutches, bumped into him with both wheelchair and crutch, made lots of noises, sudden movements,  jumped around, flapped our arms... anything we could think of that might  happen while he was being ridden and startle him.

Indy passed with flying colors, and Linda's program began.

I actually have this photo framed somewhere in my closet of photos and albums. I have been poking around in there and looking for it, as it is one of my favorite pictures ever taken of Indy. (The other is the one in a previous blog entry where he has three kids on his back.)

We made the front page of the Features section.

I didn't realize that the story continued on another page when I took the photographs of the article. Oops! I'll have to get back into the closet and see if I can't find part two.

It was really meaningful to be a part of Linda's program. It melded two of my great loves, kids and horses together, and made a difference in the lives of those who attended.

Writing about Indy has made me teary a time or two - he was such a nice horse. I keep his old stall nameplate hanging in my office where I can see it every day, and when I do, I cannot help the smile that spreads across my face.

Sugarfoot - My Kids' Pony

Back when I had Indy, I also briefly owned a pony named Sugarfoot. He was given to me by a friend who could no longer use him, and my kids enjoyed having something a little smaller to hack around on. He was quiet and gentle, a little naughty at times (what pony isn't?) and, as you can see, could be ridden with just a halter and lead rope.

Sarah, our oldest daughter riding Sugarfoot.

My friend, Linda, (Sweetzer's owner) was a trained therapist in using horses to help disabled children and adults improve muscle tone and cognitive functions. She started up a therapeutic riding program sponsored by the Champaign Park District and NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped) and used Sugarfoot and Indy as her two therapy horses.

The program was a huge success and the first of its kind in the area. Linda's program even made the news. (Photos are from the article published by The News Gazette, June 27, 1986.)

Sugarfoot heading into the arena for a ride led by a wheelchair-bound child.

Always a favorite, putting sunglasses on Sugarfoot! Linda used this as a way to help the children stretch and bend, plus it always made the kids laugh! (The adults, too.)

Linda ran the program for several years and then I had to sell Indy and Sugarfoot and she moved to Ohio. The Champaign Park District picked up the program and moved it to another barn with different horses and a different leader. I don't think it is still going, though, which makes me kind of sad.

Next up - Indy as a therapy horse.