Riding Instructors
“It was a real pleasure having you come & play Saturday morning. I found the experiment both educational & very enjoyable. Immediate benefits I observed were how focus & attention to tasks for some of the riders were clearly improved. There was also a noticeable improvement in two of the horses. I believe all of the riders enjoyed the experience, & I would love to try it with another group I have that’s more advanced. It was great fun experimenting, & I look forward to doing some more work with this. It’s actually been quite inspiring.”
How to Use the Violin in your Sessions
There are as many ways to use the violin in a therapeutic riding session as there are clients! Has your lesson plan stalled? Is progress not as noticable as you would wish? The biggest advantage you have with me being part of your client’s session, is that I can provide you a with a new tool in your toolkit.
Who Benefits? Clients that benefit tend to be those with autistic markers and Down’s Syndrome individuals, but many with ADHD and blindness are also greatly helped. I’ve also noticed those with fear of heights or a stumbling horse forget about those fears if I am playing the violin as they ride. I’ve noticed intense calming of those with Tourette’s Syndrome. Also, those with auditory impairment react exceptionally well to the live violin. I’ve also worked with someone with low socialization skills and self-esteem.
Hands Off the Saddle
"Add The Violin "
If you have a Dependent rider, the violin can get you started by providing focus to encourage the rider to work harder at a Walk/Halt concept. How does this work? The violin can stop without warning, causing the rider to use more core strength in preparation for the stop.
Add the violin to encourage focus, follow-through, listening, core strengthening, and balance. This video shows vocalization development, listening skills, and positive engagement.