HORSEBACK: GROUP TRIES TO PROMOTE SPECIAL SADDLE THERAPY

Little did Tom Miller know that riding a horse once a week would bring about such a change in his young son.

"We have seen Ryan become stronger and better balanced," said Miller of Scott City, whose son Ryan is nearly 3. "When he first started he was slumped over. He couldn't sit up. But the last several months he's been able to sit up and even hold his hands up while he's on the horse."

Ryan was born with cerebral palsy. He's been taking horseback riding therapy in St. Louis for almost a year as a form of physical therapy. His father says the improvements in his condition are unmistakable, so much so that he wants other kids to be able to take the same type of therapy.

Miller and others have formed Tri-State Therapeutic Horsemanship, a group that hopes to make horseback riding therapy available to kids in Southeast Missouri. It can help kids with physical, emotional and learning disabilities.

"It really offers tremendous benefits," said Mary Morse, an occupational therapist who is helping start the non-profit program.

Morse said the therapy can help kids with autism, developmental disabilities, arthritis, Down syndrome, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, scoliosis and a host of other impairments.

For kids afflicted with disabilities, activities most of us take for granted are a struggle, Morse said. But for various reasons, most kids respond extremely well to horseback therapy. Ryan's goal is to walk, and horseback riding therapy is ideal for such kids, she said.

"It's the movement of the horse. You have to shift your weight just like the way you shift your weight when you're walking," she said.

Morse added the psychological benefits of the therapy are as important as the physical ones. A child's self-esteem increases because they are able to do something physical with a minimum of help.

Tom Miller said his son "lights up like a Christmas tree" during his weekly therapy sessions. "He keeps begging `more dad, more" when the sessions are over, he said.

Morse, Miller and six other board members of the organization hope to begin offering horseback riding therapy in July at a ranch between Cape Girardeau and Jackson. They are seeking donations and volunteers to help them get started.

Specialized riding equipment, such as helmets, saddles, specialized reins and stirrups are needed for each child, and volunteers are needed to walk beside and in front of the horses. The horses must also be specially trained.

They also hope to offer financial assistance in the form of "riderships" to kids whose families can't afford to pay for the therapy. A one-hour session will probably cost about $10. Individual therapy will be offered initially, but group therapy for more experienced riders will likely follow, Miller said.

"We want to start slow but we plan to keep expanding," he said.

Miller said the first time someone recommended horseback therapy for his own child, he scoffed at the idea. But then he began talking to parents of kids who had received the therapy. He and his wife Sonya decided to enroll Ryan in weekly sessions.

"This has been one of the best things we've done for Ryan. The change is just amazing. His trunk is must stronger, he just loves it," he said.

Miller said the group plans to hold several fund raisers in the coming months so purchases needed equipment and insurance can be made. Volunteers are also needed. For more information call the organization at 651-6901.