THE amazing team at the ChildVision Equine Assisted Therapy Centre in Dublin should be celebrated for all number of reasons this Christmas; for delivering therapeutic riding to up to 150 children a week from their little yard, for supporting the parents, many whose children have impaired vision, neurodiverse backgrounds, and or disability, and for ensuring the horses and ponies who deliver the sessions are perfectly fit for the job.

Horses are unique partners to occupational and physical therapies at ChildVision. Fit and healthy horses make every step for their often-tiny riders a healthy rhythm and a smooth transition. The rider I saw was only three-years-old, and though was visually impaired, was so full of confidence and smiles aboard his pony, encouraging him to go forward and faster, having the time of his life!

Almost impossible

ChildVision engage the power of equine assisted therapeutic riding to work not just on movement therapy, verbal communication and emotional regulation, but also to improve skills in maths, literacy, biology and ecology – subjects that are almost impossible in a traditional classroom for students with multiple and complex additional needs.

Therapeutic riding isn’t just popping a child on a horse for a wee ride, new and expanding research into equine assisted therapies supports the realities of the direct physical benefits of working with horses to provide improved physiological and psychological benefits via the effect of movement.

Family photo

For this time of year, the ChildVision team builds a special Santa’s grotto for all the families whose children can’t go into what for them can be the frightening noise, lights and crowds of a shopping centre or city centre grotto. So many children and their families miss out on that precious family photo with Santa and his reindeer. But the dedicated staff and volunteers at the ChildVision stables pitch in to paint, glue and glitter a special stable grotto that allows families to tell Santa their Christmas wish and to give Rudolf a cuddle and a carrot.

There are a few ways you can offer some genuine help to the team at ChildVision Equine Assisted Therapy Centre this Christmas. You can help them by donating money to support their work.You can also donate or if you have the means, partner them in creating their National Equine Assisted Therapy Centre to deliver not only globally recognised equine assisted therapy programmes, but also deliver training to therapists and clinicians for the whole country.

Volunteers

In addition, when I asked the tiny team what they needed, the first thing they said was more volunteers. Volunteering with the team involves supporting the staff with the therapeutic riding sessions and pitching in where needed with the tacking up of ponies. Volunteers need to be really reliable and dedicated, and from what I saw on my visit, the rewards are many.

To read more about ChildVision Equine Therapy, the difference they make and about their future plans scan the QR code.

If you would like to support ChildVision this Christmas contact Ruth Allen, head of fundraising and development on 01 837 3635 or email ruthallen@childvision.ie and if you would like to volunteer or find about more about ChildVision for your own child, contact Terri Brosnan at: TerriBrosnan@childvision.ie