Practicing horse therapy

Forward Stride, now located in Beaverton, shows great results when autistic kids are put on horseback

By Ann Terry Hill

The Times, May 15, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Niels Johnson Laird / Times Newspapers

Proof that the therapeutic horse healing practiced at Forward Stride in Beaverton really works is shown on the faces of the numerous special children who come to ride the big animals.

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Twins Michael and Daniel Ballard of Lake Oswego were diagnosed with autism when they were 18 months old. Their mother, Kathleen, and father, Steven, have followed all the bends in the road to break through to these children and give them a normal life. Forward Stride, the therapeutic horse healing organization, has brought them to new levels of accomplishment.

“Every time we come here, horseback riding is something they look forward to,” says Kathleen. “It’s exciting and unusual and is such a confidence builder for them. They are able to have control and they are learning new things and mastering other things. It is wonderful to see and I think the best part about it is those skills translate directly into their classroom experiences and their experiences out in the world.”

The boys have been coming once a week since June 2007, at the recommendation of the Education Service District where they were receiving early intervention therapy. One of their therapists recommended Forward Stride as a summer activity, and the parents decided to give it a try not knowing how the twins would react.

They called and talked to one of the horse therapists and were invited out for a visit.

The parents gave the boys some preparation prior to the visit, showing them pictures of horses and saying they were going to have the chance to ride.

On the first visit, Michael put his helmet on, walked straight into the ring and got on the horse and was ready to ride. His mother says a big smile came on his face. He was happy and excited, which was not typical at all. For the longest time he had been fearful, anxious and stressed about new environments and new people.

His confidence is built each and every lesson; little by little, he grows less fearful of new environments and meeting new people.

Since January, Forward Stride has been in its new location in Beaverton.

With three arenas (indoors and out), ample barn space and 63 acres to spread out on, it is ideal for what the organization is working to accomplish. Nationally accredited, it has 10 licensed, credentialed professional instructors on staff and serves about 150 clients a week.

Says Kathleen: “Before we tried Forward Stride, the educators were a little fearful about putting Michael in a blended classroom with neurotypical children and children of other varying capabilities. I’m convinced the time spent at Forward Stride has helped prepare him for the transition to a blended classroom.”

For Daniel, the experience was a little different. He was fearful, anxious and stressed, but head instructor Amber Henneck was so patient and skilled at breaking the experience down into little steps (necessary for an autistic child), she got him to accept.

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