Horse power

Recently I was privileged to witness my great nephew taking classes at a Therapeutic Academy of Riding.  Through horse-related activities persons with disabilities or other special needs receive a wide range of benefits and build a sense of personal achievement.  It was fascinating to watch and inspired this poem:

Equestrian Therapy

The horse waits patiently for his groomer to arrive,

The groomer is a boy who is only age five,

He obediently picks up his bucket of tools,

Like school, he is following step-by-step rules,

He approaches his horse with new confidence he’s found,

As he places his tool bucket there on the ground,

He looks at the brushes & chooses the right one,

Taking circular motions, his work has begun,

Another brush he chooses, sweeping motions, side to side,

He proceeds to prepare for the upcoming ride,

With a hoof pick, he carefully cleans out each hoof,

If there's doubt he's improving, here is the proof,

It is hot, and it is smelly, a challenging battle,

But the boy is going to climb up into the saddle,

With reins in his hands, he commands his horse “Walk”,

Around the arena he goes, no more talk,

Clop CLOP-Clop CLOP, Clop CLOP-Clop CLOP,

Then “whoa” he exclaims when he wants him to stop,

The sound of hooves beating the ground is quite soothing,

Each lesson, his ability to ride is improving,

The sway of the gait, back and forth, smooth and flowing,

The young boy receives benefit without even knowing,

The horse’s strong back, up and down, is reassuring,

The boy’s fears and anxieties the horse now is curing,

Equestrian therapy is a fascinating art,

I am thankful the young boy I know can take part.

Tammy Harvey  written:  July 29, 2016