05/21/2026
When one of your amazing clients sends this about their child and his breakthroughs you truly feel the power of what your doing makes a difference ❣️I can’t be more appreciative of my amazing students and their families!
I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes these rides of his so remarkable to my mind. He’s very capable, so it’s not the first time I’ve seen him pick something up fast (although arguably he’s unusually adept at riding for so green a rider)… I realized today that it’s how calm he is. Because of where/how his brain was injured, he has spent the vast majority of the past six years entirely in his sympathetic nervous system. He’s had big improvements with our healing strategies so for the last year or two, he’s had more frequent and longer periods with his parasympathetic nervous system overriding the sympathetic response (this might look like calmer mornings or evenings, or reduced anxiety for a week, or the ability to handle change), but the injury has made the sympathetic response his default. It’s exhausting, for him and for us. I’m pretty sure this is why he doesn’t like leaving the house, because it’s just exhausting to his brain and nervous system.
But, when he rides, especially when he is problem solving on Peter, he is so calm. Obviously the horse responds positively, but he gets a real break because of how the act of riding and working with the horse slows his nervous system down. It’s so good for him, physiologically and I’m sure for healing as well.
I just wanted to share this with you. It’s such an incredible thing to see happen, after so many long and uncertain years. It’s really important to me to tell you how you are doing something for him , and our family, that has an incredible impact beyond what is visible on the surface. I think it’s important to let people know when they are impacting your life. I really would prefer to say this all in person but I don’t want to cry in front of the kids. They would be thankful tears, but still.