Ella the Cowgirl

A couple of months ago, I found a nearby horse therapy facility…hippotherapy! We contacted RED Arena, filled out our paperwork and had an evaluation. Then we waited for an opening for either therapy or lessons (with some therapy). While waiting, we signed up for a week of horse camp in the summer and last week we found out there was an opening for Ella! Last night was Ella’s first session. She was SO excited. We were early, which was both exciting and excruciating for Ella. We looked at the miniature horses, found a cool old truck, and Ella used a stick to beat a tree for awhile to kill time.

Finally, she was up! Ella met her instructor Melissa. She was fitted with her helmet, after a little hair adjustment, and put her safety belt on and practically ran to the gate. Since we had had our evaluation prior where Ella had an opportunity to try the helmet and belt and saddle up on a barrel, she had no apprehension about the helmet and belt this time. I thought she may be a little nervous or reluctant to actually get on the horse when the time came, but she seemed eager as ever.

Off they went to the ramp to meet the aptly named horse, Ed.

Melissa helped Ella mount and reported that Ella was extremely ridged at first. She was a little off center but they couldn’t get her to relax enough to center her. Eventually, she loosened up and got used to the rhythm of Ed’s movement.

So serious.

Once she got used to being on the horse, and giving basic commands (surprising us when we could hear a “WHOA” come from across the arena!) she started doing some tricks…

“Jumps” and planting flowers in pipes.

Then came rings. Ella would have to use her strong voice to give Ed commands “go” and “whoa”. She had to ride to the gate, stop the horse so the gate could be opened, ride through the gate and gather the rings, then ride back to the arena to the poles and hang the rings. If she said “whoa” too early, she couldn’t reach the pole. If she said it too late, she’d have to reach backwards to get the rings on. So much planning! So much reaching and balancing. So much sneaky therapy. PT, OT, and Speech all rolled into one.

Next thing we know, Ella’s riding by sideways. It was hilarious! All smiles and giggles.

I was worried Lily might get bored watching Ella have fun on the horses for an hour. She was pretty content to watch. Then we visited the miniature horses. We learned that Lily would be able to help brush them and care for them while Ella rode. She’s thrilled. Between the mini horses and the sand pit she could play in, she was pretty set. I think Lily will also enjoy going.

Ella chatted non-stop on the drive home. Her favorite part was when Ed spit on one of the girls leading him…and he sticks his tongue out. So, Ella’s pretty much in love. Her least favorite part was when she rode sideways. Judging from the giant smile plastered on her face the entire time, I’m guessing it was torture. Next week, she says they’re going out on the trails. RED Arena has 20 acres of land, so a lot of her lessons will be on the trails where we can’t watch, but she’s thrilled.

Coming up at the end of their season, RED Arena holds a huge event they call Round Up. It’s a rodeo day for all of the riders. They participate in a couple of events each. Ella’s already looking forward to it. There’s a really sweet video highlighting the event on their site here…RED Arena Round Up. I’ve already got my cowgirl hat, and I’m looking forward to this year’s Round Up in June!