By Catherine O’Hara • Review Staff
The demographics are changing at Windrush Stable.
Over the past few years, the therapeutic riding centre has seen a steady increase in the number of clients living with autism, a neuro-developmental spectrum disorder that affects one per cent of the Canadian population. Some 65 riders turn out to Windrush Stable weekly to take part in 30-minute private lessons in the arena or outdoor paddock. Between 60 and 70 per cent of those are autistic, noted the facility’s owner and operator Lesley Ridout-Gauer.
The rise in the number of youth and adults living on the spectrum has led to expanded programming and activities at the Campbellville-based centre to allow its certified instructors to better cater to clients – many of whom come from Hamilton, Halton and Guelph.
With limited information available on therapeutic riding lessons for those living with autism at the time, Ridout-Gauer pioneered her own program, gauging its success on riders’ progress and their enthusiasm.
One of Windrush’s oldest clients living with autism is a middle-aged man who was once institutionalized and now resides in a group home.
The facility’s staff turned to the stable in the hope therapeutic riding would benefit him.
Ridout-Gauer remembers her first encounter with Windrush’s new client. The man, she recalled, was screaming, swearing and licking his hands. Now, he rides twice weekly at the First Line facility, where he makes pertinent comments about his time in the barn.
That type of progress, said Ridout-Gauer, shows that, despite limited early intervention, therapeutic riding has had a positive impact on the man’s behaviour and quality of life.
“Think of what it could have been had he received all of this intervention,” she said.
Many people living with autism lack communication and social skills, which can result in tantrums and other types of upsetting behaviours.
While the horses have proven to be huge motivators for riders, hand-crafted devices and sign language has enabled clients of all ages to communicate with Windrush instructors and volunteers. “For the kids who are non-verbal, we still want them to be able to have some control of their situation,” said Ridout-Gauer.
It is said that no two children are alike. This also rings true when it comes to autism. “If you’ve met one child with autism, you have met on child with autism,” said Ridout-Gauer. “There are no two the same. Some like stimulation, some don’t; some like touching, some don’t like touching.”
Getting to know each student and customizing lessons to maximize their benefits is a difficult process but it’s one that is tremendously rewarding, especially when a rider makes a breakthrough. Ridout-Gauer’s sister, Susan Graci of Freelton, has witnessed a number of these significant advancements since she began volunteering at Windrush Stable.
“Some of them are completely non-verbal and they are now chatterboxes,” said Graci, who sits on the non-profit organization’s board of directors. “It’s amazing, it really is.”
In addition to riding lessons, Windrush Stable offers a special program that uses horses to help teach social skills to children on the spectrum.
The Heart to Heart program runs out of a classroom, built thanks to a Trillium Foundation grant. It is located adjacent to the arena and overlooks the paddock, where horses often graze. The students, explained Ridout-Gauer, can watch how the horses communicate and socialize with one another, gleaning cues from the animals’ body language.
A pony-sized model horse, outfitted with a saddle and bridle, is often used to introduce youth to the sport of horseback riding. “We can put them up on this guy who actually moves like a real horse. They get the feel of it, they feel what it feels like in a saddle, know where to put their legs,” said the stable’s owner. When it’s time to hop on a live animal, “they feel like they’ve done it before, so it isn’t a big stress.”
The expansive property also boasts a riding trail, therapeutic garden and sensory trail that features a bridge, rustic poles and birdhouses.
The therapeutic garden features raised beds, home to shade and gnome gardens, flower and herb gardens, strawberry and tomato plants, and a plot that honours the memory of Windrush horses that passed away. “Mother Nature is amazing and that is what we want the kids to see and enjoy,” said Ridout-Gauer.
For those unable to ride for medical reasons such as epilepsy, Graci is working on training a pony to pull a cart so they can connect with the animal and enjoy all the farm has to offer.
As the summer nears, the sisters are thinking of ways to provide youth living with autism the chance to spend an afternoon at Windrush.
Ridout-Gauer would like to team up with a local autism advocacy and awareness centre to offer a camp.
“We thought it would be a nice thing for them to get to the farm and see if the kids even like the idea of being around animals,” suggested Ridout-Gauer, adding that if children show an interest, their parents could explore pursuing lessons in the future.
“It’s just a chance for them to be,” said Ridout-Gauer. “Animals are so accepting.”
As a registered charitable organization, Windrush works to raise funds to feed and care for the school horses, “who are the heart of our program,” said Graci. On Sat., June 14, Windrush is hosting its annual Dreams are Riding on Us event, which features a barbecue dinner, a live and silent auction, music and riding demonstrations, stable tours, 50/50 and lottery tree draws, gift basket draws and door prizes.
Tickets, available for purchase until, June 8 on the facility’s website cost $70. For more on the organization or its upcoming fundraiser, visit www.windrushstable.com.