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Dec. 25—Robert Hesse-Withbroe did not have an easy transition moving from Minnesota to Colorado.
Hesse-Withbroe, an 18-year-old with Down syndrome and a junior at Mead High School, struggled when his family moved to Colorado. He experienced major medical issues and stopped talking, laughing and enjoying life.
So his family decided to find equine-assisted therapy for him because it had been successful when he was younger.
"When we got out here, he had some issues adjusting to the altitude, to the new school, to everything," Hesse-Withbroe's dad Mark Hesse said. "Harkening back to how much good it did back in the day when we were doing it earlier, it seemed like a good choice and I just love him having activities that are healthy and enjoyable and this is certainly one of them."
Hesse-Withbroe started therapeutic riding in January at The Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center near Longmont, a nonprofit that has provided equine-assisted therapy to children and adults with disabilities for 43 years.
"From the first week to now, it's amazing just how much improvement there's been and how much joy he gets out of it," Hesse said. "It's been great to see how much more comfortable he's gotten on the horse and how much he likes this day of the week when we get to come and ride."
Hesse-Withbroe said he likes riding and petting his horse, Saunder, because it makes him feel "happy."
Hesse said this is one of his favorite parts of the week as well as his son's.
"Anytime your kiddo, especially one with special needs and the issues Robert faces, can have joy in his life it makes us all happier," Hesse said.
Dani Rainey is Hesse-Withbroe's occupational therapist and has worked with him since he arrived nearly a year ago.
Rainey said he was initially fearful of coming in and it took him a few weeks to even get on the horse. Hesse-Withbroe's muscle tone was a lot weaker and they practiced a lot on the barrel.
"When he finally got on the horse, he held onto my hair and leaned over to the side, so it took a lot for him to sit up and then even let go of the horse," Rainey said.
Now, his control and confidence have gone up exponentially. He's eager to get on the horse, smiling and laughing through all the activities and trails.
"It's really rewarding for him and for me to see that progress in a relatively short amount of time," Rainey said, adding, "I think it's good for him to be more outgoing and confident for when he's out in school and in his environment outside of here, too."
There are various benefits to equine therapy, including promoting the ability to walk because the movement of the horse simulates pelvis movements. It also helps with core strength, speech increase and clarity, motor skills, balance and focus. Therapeutic riding provides a variety of mental health benefits including increased confidence, self-worth and self-esteem.
"For a lot of our clients with disabilities, they struggle with inclusion and just feeling, for lack of a better word, normal," Natalee Roeder, CTRC's development operations coordinator, said. "When they come out here, they're just another rider, in a good way. Everyone is on an equal plane out here."
The CTRC serves about 500 riders every year and has 200 people on the waiting list. To help meet the demand, the organization launched its annual year-end "Paint the Pony" campaign to raise $130,000.
For more information about services or the campaign, visit ctrcinc.org/.
