Does anyone know of any theraputic horsebak riding games?

Question

Hello, I have this little girl that i will be giving lessons to/ helping her ride and she has cumpulsions with her hands and keeps on hitting the horse instead of petting it...now you are about to say well maybe she dosnt like horses. But truley she does like them its just that when she was a baby she was left alone in a crib and no one ever talked to her or held her so her brain didnt develop and now she is 5 and cannot speak, she just make noises and signs, she is slow in thinking and only uderstands some things. she was adopted from china at the age of 2. Her compulsions can be handled by giving her high fives while on the horse but i was just wondering if there is anyone out there that knows of any games that i could play with her while she is on the horse that would help her?

please help me help this little girl :)

Answer 1

Try contacting a group who does riding for the disabled, they may be able to help you.

Do the horses react nigatively to her hitting them though or do they understand that she is trying to pet them.

You could try holding her hand while she is doing it and help her to pet instead of hit. You can also do this with material which feels like it has come off a horse or a rocking horse so she learns that this is what she is meant to do with her hands for a horse.

Answer 2

does she have an occupational therapist-sounds like it could be a sensory need which is treated through out-

try taking her hands before the lesson-and sing Row your boat-pulling her back and forth-

any toy that she has to push with her hands-playdough-building with legos, etc....