The day after Kelly's last riding session (note that I did not say riding lesson) while thinking about the "horse boy method" of autism therapy, I had an epiphany. I am not teaching Kelly to ride! I am not giving her riding lessons! I am not even giving her seat lessons. While it is true that some of what I have been doing with her and asking her to do mimics the outward appearance of the classical lunge line seat lesson of the Old School, what I am doing is actually quite far removed. I am not teaching her how to sit on the horse, and I am not teaching her how to ride the horse. I am, however, doing much more than just a lead line pony ride. What I am doing with Kelly is helping her exercise her brain and activate certain brain regions through exercises of adjusting balance in motion.
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