
	Freedom Trails Riding Center, Inc. P.O. Box 203 Tiffin, Ohio 44883 (419) 447-8959

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	The Equestrian Therapy at FTRC Ohio provides equine therapy with horses for handicapped members of the community of Tiffin Ohio as well as riders in Northwest Ohio

Horse Therapy Helps The Handicapped

www.advertiser-tribune.com
By Jill Gosche
Staff Writer, Advertiser-Tribune

TIFFIN, OHIO -- Babe stops in front of the mounting stand and holds still while Jerry Recker climbs into the saddle. The 18-year-old quarter horse then starts circling the ring, while others hold onto the rider to make sure he doesn't fall.

After walking around the ring in the barn, Babe stops so Recker can practice his exercises. Recker's arms and hands horizontally swing around his body and later reach toward the ceiling.
Recker has William's syndrome and a heart defect, and the 25-year-old has the mental capacity of someone half his age. When he was 7 months old, his parents learned he would never walk or talk.
He's proven that belief wrong.

Jerry Recker has been visiting the 10-acre Lindenwood Farm right outside of Tiffin since October.
"When he walked in the barn, it just seemed like he had been there for years," said his mother, Barb Recker. "He just kind of drew into the horses and the ponies and the goats."
Kathi Heyman, who owns the farm along with her husband, Don, is one of seven founders of Freedom Trails Riding Center, a program geared toward providing recreation to people with mental and physical handicaps.

"Working with the special needs population, you just see that they are sometimes limited in choices in what they can do for fun and recreation, and so we thought this would be another choice, another outlet, a way for them to have fun and healthy exercise, and it can improve deficits without them even knowing that's what you're working on or trying to help," Heyman said.

Heyman's daughters, Amanda Heyman, 25, and Melinda Heyman, 22, are certified instructors and are helping the riders in addition to offering private lessons.
"We've worked with these people before in our own lesson program, and we've enjoyed working with them, and we thought Freedom Trails would be a good idea helping these people out," Amanda Heyman said.

The trainers spend one evening per week working with the handicapped participants.
"We've done lessons with the special-needs kids, and I enjoy the work with those kids, and I thought to go ahead and teach with the program with the kids I've already dealt with. It's a good feeling to see them progress," Melinda Heyman said. "It gives them a feeling of self-accomplishment knowing that they can complete a task."

Kathi Heyman said participants benefit mentally, physically, socially and spiritually while they are working on balance, coordination, following directions, problem-solving skills, sequencing and strength.

"It's going to open their world up a little more," she said. "They're going to meet more people that way."

Amanda Heyman and Melinda Heyman grew up with horses and lead the participants in a series of exercises. The riders may throw a ball into a hula hoop while sitting atop a horse.
"We have them reach up, try to touch (the horses') ears and reach around, try to touch their tails just so they get more trusting," Melinda Heyman said.

Elaine Perry volunteered at Vail Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center in Oregon, Ohio, and Challenged Champions in Putnam County. She is to handle the horses and help people mount and dismount the animals.

Perry said the program is to help the horse leaders gain self-confidence and a connection with the animals.

"The motion of the horses simulates the same motion we have in our hips," she said. "It gets the mind set for motion again."

Kathi Heyman, Sue McGrain, Brenda Mowery, Perry, Recker, Elinor Spellerberg and Joe Watt have been working for nearly four years to organize the program and now are ready to put riders on horses.

"I can see where these things sometimes don't make it because there's a lot of red tape and a lot of brick walls you run into. If you're not persistent and you don't stick together, it won't get done," said Kathi Heyman, who provided occupational therapy in a school setting for 12 years. "It's been a group endeavor."

Spellerberg ran a similar program for 18 years and is offering her assistance to start the program in Tiffin. She said the participants get to engage in an activity others may not.

"It's been proven all over the country how much good it does. We all love our horses and get so much out of horses that we want to share it," she said. "It's a good program."

Barb Recker said her son, Jerry, loves being around horses, and it seems like his self-esteem has improved since visiting them at the the farm. Barb Recker has been riding horses since fourth grade, while Jerry has been riding for about six years.

"A lot of it's his self esteem because that's a big thing for him. He's proud of himself when he does this stuff," she said, adding he always was quiet around people he didn't know. "It would always take a while, and with this, he just comes out of his shell right away. He whole life, pretty much everything's been a struggle, and it's been hard."