Horse Therapy

Katie started with horse therapy a year ago - in Oct 2008.  Horse therapy helps to strengthen her core muscles, basically her abdominals and probably her back too. We go to Boulder Mountain Therapy in Mesa, and they do a lot of things with her on the horse.  They have her reach for toys that are hanging in the trees or they throw a ball to her and she throws it back, etc...  They work on all kinds of muscle groups with her on the horse. It has been really exciting to actually see the improvement with her . When she started this a year ago, she had to hang on to a handle, she tired out easily, and she had a hard time keeping her head from wobbling.  Now, she can hold onto a doll rather than the handle, and they have her sit sideways on the horse for a while, which is supposed to be a lot a harder to do. Below are two videos, one from a year ago and one from about a month ago.  You can see the difference in her balance and her head control.  In the second video she is sitting sideways and holding a doll.  Katie does horse therapy once a week from Oct to May. 

2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIFDmadD06s

2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU6lHsWQp0g