Horses Helping Children with Autism
For years Rupert and Rowan literally lived in the saddle together on a Quarter Horse mare called Betsy. The story of Rowan opening to the outside world through Betsy is told in the bestselling book and award winning film, both entitled “The Horse Boy“.
Read this story about Horse Boy Method in Dressage Today.
With Rowan’s success, Rupert started working with other local children on the spectrum to see if what worked with Rowan and Betsy would work for them. While no method can ever be right for 100% of people Rupert found a sufficiently high percentage of children benefited-sometimes in astonishing ways.
Rupert’s framework of techniques targets different types of autism spectrum challenges. Since 2009 he has been working internationally with the Horse Boy Method™ at camps and centers in North America and Europe. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity!
Who should attend this clinic?
Anyone interested in the healing power of horses
Parents, therapists and counselors working with autistic people
Dressage Riders looking for a fresh and beautiful perspective on riding and horses
Training Overview
• Introduction to Autism
• What our methods are. Why they are different
• Necessary Equipment
• Sensory session with horses. For children and for parents
• Collection – what it is and why it matters
• Intro to Back-riding training
• How to create the right environment for Horse Boy Method
• How to cope with children unwilling or afraid to ride
• Long-lines (working with young adults too large to back-ride)
• Rule based games / Perspective taking
• Academics on horseback: how to use the dressage arena and round pen for math, biology, geography and more!
• How to work with the entire family
• Basic trick work. Learning the aids, and demo of how tricks are used for communication
When: February 9 and 10, 2013
Where: Square Peg Ranch at Canyon Creek Equestrian Center
Cost: Riders $675 Non Riders: $340
