This chat was held in the America On Line Chatroom "Field of Dreams" in September 2003, exclusively for the members of the America On Line Community's WRITING RIGHT members.
Elizabeth Delisi, a professional author, is one of the Hosts.


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HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Okay, let's get started, everyone. We're in protocol now. We're starting something new today--an Expert series of chats. On each Expert chat, we'll have a guest who will discuss some topic of interest other than writing, but something that we might want to feature in our writing, so it will give us an opportunity to question an expert!
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Today our guest is Karen MacLeod, who will talk about Therapeutic Riding for the Handicapped--and perhaps Special Olympics also if we get time. -)
KMacLEOD323: First of all, if you want to know more when we're done, write me off chat. I'll get back to you. I've been a client, working as staff, and with the riders.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: So Karen, please tell us a little about you, and then you can launch into your talk!
KMacLEOD323: Being disabled from birth with Cerebral Palsy I found something wonderful as a therapy form when therapeutic riding was made known to me. I rode with a New Jersey center for 12 years, and would still be doing it if I hadn't moved to this part of MD where I can't find a center that wants to work with adults. I also owned my own horse for 4 years. That's about it, as far as topic related goes.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Any questions so far? Okay, I'll start--how is horseback riding therapeutic? Does it improve muscle tone, or give confidence, or what?
KMacLEOD323: Depending on the person's disability, therapeutic horseback riding helps in various ways. For me, both muscle tone and confidence improved. For others, we found adults who never spoke a word, and had IQ's of 35 could verbalize when on a horse. They reacted positively to the animal.
HOST WPLC Rosa: When a person decides on therapeutic horseback riding how is the horse chosen? And with CP how did you stay balanced to hang on?
KMacLEOD323: The horses in the centers are chosen by the staff to be gentle, yet sound. There are certain standards NARHA uses, (North American Riding for the Handicapped) It took trying 7 different horses to find the right one for me to buy-- and others in the center also used him as part of my stabling him there.
KMacLEOD323: The ones we had could walk, trot, canter on voice command. They could ride English or western, and could jump 3 foot obstacles. They had to not shy at balls thrown at them in game time, and had to tolerate riders who were unbalanced. They're very special.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Is this something that doctors would prescribe, like any other physical therapy?
KMacLEOD323: Yes. I had to have a medical form completed annually. I had a prescription for the lessons, and for my horse.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: So insurance would cover part of it?
KMacLEOD323: Helped at tax time, as the expense was deductible since I had prescriptions. Depending on the insurance. Medicare will NOT cover it.
HOST WPLC Rosa: the balancing intrigues me, I would think the more you rode
the more balanced you become, but the first couple of times could be rough or possibly even scarey for a child
KMacLEOD323: It used to take me about 2 months to gain balance if I didn't ride over the winter. Three people help the rider, if they aren't balanced...
HOST WPLC Rosa: or what special precautions do they take?
KMacLEOD323: one guides the horse, and two walk along side the saddle. Riders wear safety helmets, and safety stirrups and hand holds are on each saddle.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: So it's a special saddle?
KMacLEOD323: Not necessarily. Equipment used depends on the disability. I had special stirrups with covers so my feet wouldn't fall through. I started with the leader and "sidewalkers" and in 6 months, had neither.
HOST WPLC Rosa: did you ride every day?
KMacLEOD323: I tried to ride twice a week....riding daily was rare.
HOST WPLC Rosa: did you ride western?
KMacLEOD323: Those who can not ride, would work with the horses in the barn and learn their care. I rode English, but could ride western.
HOST WPLC Rosa: (some western saddles have the stirrup covers)
KMacLEOD323: The contact with a horse is good emotionally, so those who
could work supervised with the horse would do that.
KMacLEOD323: There are also special stirrups called "devonshire boots" in
catalogs for the handicapped.
AzureeBlue: how did this topic get picked?
KMacLEOD323: If you were to write about horses, or the disabled....how much do you know about either? I can supply some of that expertise to you now.
AzureeBlue: write a poem about the disabled? Well people are often told to write what you know, so if you are writing about the disabled obviously you must know something about it
KMacLEOD323: nod.... I helped an author write about horses in a colonial novel. The information she had was incomplete and incorrect. My expertise on horse care fixed the book.
Ophelia Laughs: I'd be interested in any general horse care information you wouldn't mind providing. For example, how often are they fed and what.
KMacLEOD323: "Disabled" is a catch all. Each individual disability is unique. We used to feed our horses 3 times a day. Grain and hay in morning and evening. Noon another feeding of hay.
JWilso5584: Kmac-- the trouble with that is they start to expect it
KMacLEOD323: There are special horse feeds available.
KMacLEOD323: These horses were worth it...and we fed them that way. Only 1 in 10 horses have the steady qualities for therapeutic riding.
AzureeBlue: I thought horses ate grass along with hay....oh well
KMacLEOD323: We had no pasture for them.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Just trying to keep the questions orderly for
our guest.
KMacLEOD323: When the grass grew the 12 of them ate it as quickly as it grew
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Any more questions for our guest?
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Ophelia.
Ophelia Laughs: I'm going to be a pest, I'm afraid...Who shoes them
nowadays, a vet?
KMacLEOD323: Nope. "Farrier" the current term for Blacksmith. Every 6 weeks or so.
JWilso5584: No it's OK I was just going to ask if you say farrier in the USA. Obviously you do.
KMacLEOD323: the term here is interchangeable. Depends on what people know.
FaithfullSpirit2: (hey! I knew one!)
KMacLEOD323: Horse people know "farrier."
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Any other questions?
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Faithfull.
FaithfullSpirit2: I'm more interested in Special Olympics
FaithfullSpirit2: since that is in my wip.
KMacLEOD323: There are riding events in Special Olympics
FaithfullSpirit2: I hadn't thought of that
KMacLEOD323: NJ will have one in the middle of October at their Horse Park
FaithfullSpirit2: I was thinking track and field and swimming
KMacLEOD323: One of our riders went to the National Special Olympics one year, and brought home Silver in riding events.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Karen, maybe you can tell us a little about working and/or competing in the Special Olympics, too.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Question, Faithfull?
KMacLEOD323: Ah! So there is something you know of, but don't know all the sports Special Olympics competes in. They even do bowling.
FaithfullSpirit2: how is Special Olympics organized in a given city usually?
KMacLEOD323: In New Jersey (which is where I was experienced) it is organized on a State level. Then county level. I wasn't a competitor in SO, but a volunteer with them.
FaithfullSpirit2: (my protag is a volunteer)
KMacLEOD323: NJ is divided into 12 areas for SO.... I just got a notice from them on fall events. Soccer, volleyball, golf, cycling, equestrian. Roller skating, too!
FaithfullSpirit2: any winter events?
KMacLEOD323: Didn't get that list yet.
AzureeBlue: they usually do swimming inside for the winter unless you live where they don't have snow
KMacLEOD323: I know they also do bowling events, and in summer, track and field. Our riding center was very proud that one of our clients went to the National Special Olympics, and riding a strange horse (not one of ours) came home with silver medals.
FaithfullSpirit2: (wow!)
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: That's great! Any other questions?
KMacLEOD323: And no...therapeutic riding isn't a 'pony ride.' You learn true riding skills to the best of the individual's ability.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Ophelia.
Ophelia Laughs: What kinds of handicaps respond well to equine therapy?
KMacLEOD323: Just about any. We had people from a state institution that
progressed. If they can't ride, they work on ground with the horse. Grooming, even petting can be helpful.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: So, do the handlers have special training to work with the horses, and/or the clients?
KMacLEOD323: Oh yes. They go through a training session of a couple hours when they come to us. We even had young offenders who volunteered through the court system benefit. These were inner city youth that never ever saw a horse, but became great volunteers and even learned to ride a bit in a month. Safety is always practiced, no matter if rider or volunteer.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Any other questions?
KMacLEOD323: check out: http://www.narha.org or call 1-800-369-RIDE (The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association)
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Yes, Joyful,
Joyfulbee8: Do you think as writers it would be helpful to bring in some of these items?
KMacLEOD323: If it fits your plotline, sure. As I said earlier -- an author doing a colonial novel, had all her horse facts botched. I had to help her fix about grooming and harnessing.
JWilso5584: The French are very enthusiastic about horses. We export them from the UK to France, but they eat them. What do you think of that?
KMacLEOD323: I rode English -- doing dressage, doing small jumps at walk and trot. I don't like it. I never fed my dog horsemeat dog food. But that's their choice.
JWilso5584: These are mostly new forest ponies rather than show jumpers
KMacLEOD323: All of our horses, even the ponies could jump 3 feet. We had one horse become National Therapy horse in 1993 - he lived to be over 40
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: What is the average age a horse lives--and can they do therapy riding for their whole lifetime?
KMacLEOD323: Depends on the horse. Horses live about 30 years if well cared for. They can do therapy horse work for many years, also depending on the horse. My horse was 8 when we bought him. Real young ones aren't suitable. Too flighty.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Ophelia.
Ophelia Laughs: Are there certain breeds that make better therapy animals, or is it more a matter of personality?
KMacLEOD323: Personality especially. Some of them chosen for their gait abilities. We had retired race horses, a retired cow pony, Welsh ponies, and all kinds.: I rode an Arabian at a National competition, and she did well. Wasn't even trained as a therapy horse.
TheTruTiger1974: How much would a pure white horse cost? Pure white horses are the hardest to keep clean! Cost depends on what you're looking for, age of horse, breed.... many factors.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Any other questions?
KMacLEOD323: One white pony we had we bathed and got ready for a show. He wasn't quite dry, and rolled in red sand. We had to wash him all over again!
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Thanks so much for being our guest today, Karen, and inaugurating our Expert series! Round of applause for Karen!
KMacLEOD323: If anyone has questions, please write me off list.
HOST WPLC Rosa: Thank you, Karen.
FaithfullSpirit2: applause
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Next week Deborah LeBlanc Brown, author of FAMILY INHERITANCE, will take part in our new "Expert" series. She'll discuss Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Autopsies.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: Don't forget Rosa's Realities of the Paranormal chat tomorrow night,
KMacLEOD323: You're welcome. Please contact me by mail if you want more info.
Ophelia Laughs: That sounds fascinating as well.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: right here at 9 p.m. ET.
HOST WPLC MmeLiz: See you next week, everyone!