Riding Therapy vs. Riding Lesson
Realization
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. These exercises should help activate the parts of her brain that are both involved in modulating autistic catatonia and connecting her to the real world while a the same time creating a relaxation within her body and starting the process of neuroplastic learning and brain development to help with the neuro-developmental issues arising from the condition of autism.
At the same time, I am also taking advantage of the opportunity to help Leo develop a little more strength in his hindquarters and back, and work in a little classical riding theory just because I cannot help myself. Below is a little of the reasoning of what I am actually trying to do with Kelly even though it is not truly riding, or horse training, or seat development.
Introduction, Theory, & Assumptions
Working under the following assumptions:
1. The cerebellum is the main brain region of focus in autism and catatonia. Movement is adversely effected, Balance within the dopaminergic brain signaling systems is negatively impacted. The cerebellum doesn’t directly initiate or control movement, but is responsible for monitoring and modifying movements. It is a brain system integrator
2. Stimulation of the vestibular and proprioceptive systems is good for learning, balance, brain training, and improving the cerebellum.
3. Exercises that test one’s balance and refine ones internal GPS systems will good for the cerebellum and neuroplasticity.
4. Exercises and movements that rock the hips cause systemic release of oxytocin – the anti-stress hormone of binding and communication.
5. Oxytocin has beneficial downstream effects on dopaminergic and serotonergic nerve signaling and communication. Oxytocin quiets and reduces cortisol (the hormone of stress) storms in the body and brain. Cortisol negatively impacts learning and memory and triggers the “fight, flight, or freeze reflex”. Oxytocin reduces stress, takes the brain out of “survival mode”, and creates a “tend and befriend” reflex.
6. Stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerve triggers the “rest and digest reflex”. The vagus nerve can be stimulated by vibrations and steady deep tissue pressures both of which stimulate specific types of mechano-receptors throughout the body in the vagus nerve.
7. Repetitive local vibration or tapping can stimulate the vagal mechano-receptors.
8. Horse riding stimulates speech and the speech centers.
9. Physical activity is one of the strongest and longest lasting neuro-plastogens that exists.
10. Horse riding – especially in collected gaits – rocks the hips and releases oxytocin.
11. BDNF is another strong natural neuroplastogen in the body and is the body’s innate neural repair mechanism. BDNF release is somehow triggered by physical activity.
12. Activating multiple brain regions together at one time results in synergy and brain synchrony that is good for neuroplastic repair and brain network strengthening. Neurons that “fire together, wire together” – in other words are strengthened.
13. Rest and appropriate sleep is crucial for memory consolidation and synaptic re-normalizations.
14. The layer five pyramidal cells of the pre-frontal cortex are the master regulators of neuro-plasticity.
15. The purkinje cells of the cerebellum are master integrators of sensory and cortical systems.
16. We are not teaching the student how to ride or steer. We are re-training, activating, and exercising the brain, and optimizing it for learning, neuro-plasticity, healing, and growth.
Therapeutic Riding Protocol For Autistic Catatonia
Set-up
Riding in a sensory friendly quiet environment with minimal distractions. Horse equipped with a large dressage saddle, mohair cord girth, and an “SOS” safety strap.
Headgear: Bridle without reins, or halter. We are not teaching the student how to ride or steer. I prefer to use an appropriately fitted lungeing cavesson with or without bit or bitted bridle underneath.
Protocol
Start by walking on a long-rein in a big over-striding, back swinging walk. The student sits tall and still but loose in the saddle allowing the hips to move freely in all directions with the horse. This is the first big step in starting out as it loosens the horse’s back and removes tension from both horse and rider. It also is the first step in rocking the rider’s hips and releasing oxytocin to calm the nervous system.
The nest step is to perform classical seat exercises in the saddle at the walk. These might include arm circles, trunk rotations, leg swings, tow circles, touching the horse’s hips, or reaching for the horse’s ears, or leaning backward in the saddle. When done in a back-swinging walk, the rider’s hips are continuing to be rocked with concomitant release of oxytocin while the proprioceptive and vestibular systems are also being engaged at the same time.
The third phase is to ask for some side stepping exercises in-hand from the horse. These could include forms of leg-yield, shoulder-in, counter shoulder-in, other proper lateral work, full-passes, or Turns-On-The-Forehand-In-Motion. These side stepping exercises introduce a side to side or left – right rocking of the pelvis.
Next comes leg counting exercises. These can be done in any language to introduce language and engage a new system of the brain. The counting also introduces a verbal non-threatening and calming rhythm. If we count the touch of the horse’s front leg to the ground we can next ask the rider to use the leg on the same side to ask the horse to side step in rhythm to the touch of the front leg to the ground/ lift of the hind leg off the ground. This now introduces a non-threatening rhythmic deeper tissue pressure that can aid in the relaxation by further release of oxytocin and bring in a mechanical vibration that can stimulate the vagus nerve and release endorphins and dopamine.
If both horse and rider are able and willing, then these steps can all be repeated in a working trot or even better a collected trot. If canter is possible, repeating this at the canter is even better.
Even if horse and rider to not progress beyond the walking stage, much more benefit can be had if the rider can perform tongue circles by rubbing the tongue around the oral cavity and press the tongue against the cheeks. This can bring in some other oxytocin and sensory systems by introducing a non-threatening tactile oral stimulation and mimicking the suckling response. Eye saccades can also be added to this regime concurrently with tongue circles and seat exercises. The eye saccades of looking rapidly from one point of reference to another brings in the activation of the visual system which interacts with the vestibular system to encode balance. A variation of the eye saccade where in the rider maintains eye contact on a single non-threatening focal point such as the horses left ear while slowly turning the head to the left or right can also co-activate the visual and vestibular systems leading to multi-sensory stimuli without over-load.
Specific Seat Exercises
Trunk Rotations
Trunk rotations activate the horizontal left right axis of the semi-circular canals of the vestibular system and can include stimulations of the visual system if the rider looks at the leading thumb of the rotating outstretched arm at the same time.
