Horsing around!

Wow! I just logged on to update with a few pictures and realized it has been a whole month since I have updated you all on the goings on of our household. Unfortunately, I don't have time right now to make this a long entry but I did want to make sure I posted a few pictures and I will try in the next few days to update with more.


Emmy is participating in Hippo (horse) therapy this summer. She is enrolled in an eight week session which will take us into the first part of August. At first she wasn't so sure about the whole idea about riding on top of a big horse but when we went today she did very well. She has a therapist walk along one side and either Mama or Dada on the other. The person leading the horse works or is a volunteer from within the therapy program.
A horse's gait is supposed to be the closest thing to a human gait so they are using this type of therapy to build trunk strength and to help program Emmy's brain to understand what walking typically feels like. It is an amazing program and specifically designed for children with special needs whether it be a physical disability or something like Autism. It has been a wonderful opportunity for her just to be around the horses as her personality is extremely cautious and timid. Today she stood (in her braces) at the feet of a horse and painted the horse with washable paint. It not only gave her the practice of standing using her crutches but it enabled her to stand confidently next to a full size horse. (I went by myself this week and didn't get any pictures, hopefully next time Bill will be able to go so I can take some more recent pics.) For now anyway, you can see our little cowgirl during her second session.