The Madison Fields EAAT team is devoted to improving our participants’ quality of life through developing and fostering healing relationships with our therapeutic riding horses. Today, we are honored to put the spotlight on one of our riders, Max! Read more to find out what his family had to say about his experience at the farm.
“Max has been learning to ride at Madison Fields for several years. Starting when he was about six years old, and through today at the age of nine. The primary reason for having Max learn to ride horses is that as an autistic little boy, he needs to get as much socialization and general skills as possible.
Learning to ride helps accomplish this in several key aspects, just like ABA therapy. He has [to] listen, he has to pay strict attention to both the horse and the instructors. He gets re-enforcement for skills he works on at school and at home, and, just as importantly, he has fun.
Middle: Dakota & Max, TR Rider
Right: Trained Volunteer
Perhaps one of the most important things for Max would be the caring nature of the instructors and staff at Madison Fields. Max has been fortunate to have many community based programs with caring and dedicated people.
However, at Madison Fields this is even more so the case. We have a staff of dedicated and driven people with amazing attention to detail, teaching an autistically disabled little boy, with a horse that weighs around 1000 pounds, to learn basic riding skills. People you can trust with your most precious asset, who care, and that he is actually learning from, are rare and wonderful.”
Middle: River & Max, TR Participant
Right: Trained Volunteer
Max has learned the basics of riding and tends to completely enjoy it! (A little less so when it’s very cold out). Riding has brought him some sincere happiness, but just as importantly, provides him a skillset and confidence that a cat or dog just can’t provide.”
Build-A-Horse