Provide HorseTHERAPY to 50 Nicaraguan Children

To start 2019 we had to evaluate our horses form the Reyes Farm.  We were concerned that they were a little bit to frisky.  Gustavo our therapist did a series of tests along with Don Alvaro to ensure that the horses were in good condition and that they were calm horses.  This has a bit to do with the situation in the country of Nicaragua even the horses were affected by the crisis.  But after these tests in 2019 they realized that the horse could continue and that they would be the best horses that Nicaragua has to offer.  Don Alvaro Reyes who is the owner of the horses has the best horses in the country winning many awards for his quality of horse.  He has always guaranteed the quality of the horse but every once in a while we ask for a check on the horses that we use to ensure that no child will be in danger because of a horse that is not willing to cooperate with the therapy.  As Don Alvaro says his horses are athletes and they are treated as athletes.  For instance, depending on the children’s schedule for therapy they have to make sure that the horses have a eating schedule that helps it to be at its top form when working with the children.  

The good news is that we have just purchased a new truck with 4-wheel drive so we can get the children to the arena where they work out.  We had been using a truck without 4-wheel drive and stopping at the top of the hill and the parents had to walk with their children down to the arena where the horse are located.  This was fine during the dry season but was not helpful during the raining season and so we often had to change the arena for the horses and use the entry road as the arena for the horse therapy.  Now we are going to be able to reach the arena at the bottom of the road with the 4-wheel drive. 

We are also continuing with our emphasis on integrated therapy.  This means that mothers and children have to participate in the activities that we organize during the week in order to qualify for the horse therapy.  There are times that we have let this slip because parents are not always willing to make that much sacrifice in order to have their children receive horse therapy.  But staff has all agreed that it only makes sense to have horse therapy for those children whose parents are willing to enter in the complete program, since we do not charge for therapy.  So we have recommitted ourselves to the integrated model now in 2019.  We are having positive results and want to continue with this emphasis.