How Therapeutic Riding Transforms the Lives of Riders With Disabilities

HORSES ARE FOR EVERYONE: PART 1

When Back on Track Ambassador Lauren Reischer was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the doctors told her parents she'd never be able to walk or talk. Today, Lauren is a professional equestrian athlete and passionate accessibility advocate whose story is a testament to the power of horses to transform lives.

Keep reading to learn more about Lauren's journey and the benefits of therapeutic riding in the first part of our four-part series with Lauren Reischer, Horses Are for Everyone.

When Horses Prove Doctors Wrong

Lauren's rehabilitation specialist recommended she start therapeutic riding when she was three.

"The way my cerebral palsy affected me was that my brain essentially thought of my legs as a mermaid tail. We thought the motion of me sitting on the horse would help my brain recognize the feeling of separating my legs and help me learn how to walk."

When the instructors picked Lauren up to sit in the saddle, her legs separated for the first time ever. She returned every week to sit astride the gentle therapy horses as instructors carefully walked them around the arena, developing her muscle memory. Within ten weeks of starting therapeutic riding, Lauren took her first steps with a walker.

The Transformative Power of Therapeutic Riding

Riding also motivated Lauren in her general rehabilitation program, helping her progress even more.

"It was the defining activity of my week. Growing up, I was in physical therapy for 20 hours a week. I'd go every day after school, and my motivation to stick to my rehab and actually try in physical therapy was to become a better rider. It was motivating in so many ways."

The horses became more than just a therapy tool for Lauren. She quickly fell in love with the animals that had changed her life.

"Riding gave me so much besides the physical benefits. It was so empowering to sit on top of a horse that not only has free will but doesn't speak your language. It taught me a lot about communication, teamwork, and those core values that set me up for success in other areas of my life, especially the classroom."

Lauren recommends parents looking for a therapeutic riding program for their children use resources provided by PATH International, an organization dedicated to promoting safe and effective therapeutic horseback riding throughout the United States and Canada.

How Barns Help Kids with Disabilities Find Community

Lauren eventually graduated from therapeutic riding and started riding at local barns, where she finally found a community where she felt she belonged.

"There were times I was excluded by my peers because of my disability. When I couldn't find that friendship and camaraderie at school, I found it at the barn. For the other girls there, the only thing that mattered was the one thing we all had in common: we loved horses."

While she didn't have a horse of her own until she was 18, Lauren also developed close relationships with the lesson horses she had the opportunity to ride and show. Throughout her riding journey, Lauren always felt the horses took care of her.

"I always felt that the horse was my friend. I knew the horses that I was riding and lessoning on knew I had a disability. But I never felt the horses were discrediting my ability. The horses allowed me to learn new things and improve on them. I never had to speak the same language as them to know we had a bond."

Lauren advises riders interested in continuing their equestrian education to ask their therapeutic riding instructor for recommendations for local lesson barns.

The Challenges of Riding in College

Lauren knew she would continue riding when she started college at Brown University. Like many riders with disabilities, Lauren relied on riding for more than just recreation. The horses never stopped being therapeutic.

However, riding in college is challenging for every student equestrian, even if they don't have disabilities. Lauren dreamed of riding on Brown University's Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association team. But first, she had to make the team.

Did Lauren Make the Team?

The outcome of Brown University's IHSA team tryouts wouldn't just change Lauren's life. In four short years, they'd determine the entire team's future. Learn how, in part two, How IHSA Empowered a Rider with a Disability to Save Her Team.

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How Therapeutic Riding Transforms the Lives of Riders with Disabilities [Part 1]