Provide HorseTHERAPY to 50 Nicaraguan Children

All the therapy and education programs are now functioning full time in Special Families, Gustavo is picking up children and meeting mothers and children at the park for transportation to the finca for horse therapy. We had to take a break because it was dangerous for families to travel during the Social/Political crisis, which is still in effect however we are not so much directly being threatened. Our mothers can attend the therapy without danger. 

The mothers are organized to work together while they wait their turn for therapy.  A Mother Promoter is accompanying them and is working on a special interview and form which we developed during our down time.  The form is designed to help the mother communicate more about her situation and share about her life with a child with a handicap. It is a fun activity for the mothers and is a great way to spend the time with one another. The completed form using popular education dynamics will help the organization to get to know each mother and family better. This helps to serve them better, build community, plus build the mother´s self-confidence at the same time.

In our horse therapy one day a week is dedicated to the students of Rayitos our primary special education program.  This gives them an opportunity to get fresh air and receive their therapy together.  It also gives the teachers the opportunity to accompany them and work with them as a group as they await their turn on the horse.  Another interesting aspect about horse therapy is that it is an opportunity for these children and their mothers to be in relationship with nature.  This a great de-stressor for mothers whose children have different handicaps and they hardly have any time to enjoy nature.  We are very grateful to all of our donors who have helped us to continue this program which has so many healthy and natural advantages to help children and their families to strive to improve their lives.  As we watch children walk, control their limbs, improve their balance and their heads and necks, we think: “Can this get any better?” Yes horse therapy works Miracles!!

Many of our children and young people look forward to their weekly sessions of Horse Therapy but it is hard work for them and for the therapist.  Gustavo a Nicaraguan trained physical therapist has been with Special Families since 1996 and is a titled horse therapist since 2002, working hard with the children, their families and with the horses. 

Gustavo was working in 1996 at the regional state hospital  in Matagalpa as a physical therapist, when the word went out that Special Families needed part time help to get started with therapy for children. No one wanted to leave the hospital environment and work with children.  Gustavo says since he was the newest, this job fell to him but how was he going to do this work he didn’t know how to relate to children.  He decided that he needed to get some good advice and went to a psychologist. He learned a lot about himself and realized that his father had never been tender or played with him as a child, because of the strong masculine culture it was not acceptable.  Gustavo had to decide would he continue the same way as his father or could he learn to be playful and tender with children and motivate them in therapy sessions.  He was the first in his family to have a university degree and now he was going to change another cultural norm. He didn’t have to wait long because hundreds of mothers and special children soon took over his life.  Teaching him how they needed his gentle and playful nature to motivate them in therapy. In the end he left the hospital setting to work in the community oriented setting of Special Families. 

 Dr. Enric Sirvent a professor of physical therapy at Gimbernat University in Sabadell Spain encouraged us to look into Horse Therapy 16 years ago.  Gustavo was a natural because he already was an expert with horses.  He received a scholarship to Gimbernat to get his title in Horse Therapy.  The miracles started with children of all ages. There were children walking for the first time, having control of their heads and necks, their limbs and working to become healthier children.  One young man who had never hugged his father learned how to touch the horses during his therapy sessions and soon was hugging his father.  This motivated Gustavo to share this work with other therapists earning the approval of Gimbernat to train another horse therapist.  He has trained therapists this science but in the end they all seem to think it is too much work.  He has had many many volunteers to work with him from all over the world, and everyone has enjoyed the work. He has never been alone but there has not been any therapists ready to commit to Horse Therapy.  

Special Families always has another physical therapist to work with the children in physical therapy and park therapy but not another horse therapist.   We are searching for another physical therapist to work in Horse Therapy with Gustavo to be sure that the work continues.  We have seen the need greater in these last two months as Nicaragua has entered into a political/ social crisis.  Gustavo lives with his wife and three children in a small city outside of Matagalpa.  During this time he has not always been able to get through the barricades to work with the children, and we have missed sessions of Horse Therapy because there are no volunteers from other countries right now either.  The mothers and children have wanted to continue the sessions but with the crisis it has been impossible.  Horse Therapy has proven to be a great place for miracles to occur and Special Families wants that to continue so we are searching for another Nicaraguan therapist to be trained as a horse therapist.  We are looking for someone who wants to work in the field, in the sun, in the rain, get dirty and muddy and motivate children and horses, to live and work miracles just as Gustavo has for 16 years. 

Links:

• Gustavo explains horse therapy in Spanish
• news report on horsetherapy Special Families Univision