What My Clients Say
Testimonials
Clients
I really liked the music; it was very, very nice. Ember (the horse) responded really, really well. She was listening and not stalling. I liked the challenges.
I liked the music with the riding, because it was relaxing and really nice. I liked that I could focus on specific things. Thank you, Carolyn.
It felt really good (with the music). Thank you very much. It helped me get a rhythm and keep walking with it.
Parents and Observers
It was a remarkable change, very centered and very focused. So he liked it very much. Excellent.
M really enjoyed having the violinist at her lesson. I wasn’t there, but my husband said it was the best riding he had ever seen her do.
When S came in to the building, he just sat down and crossed his legs (because he heard the violin), as normally he’s very auditory and in another spot, back in the corner. I have never seen him do that. It’s great. He was feeling more secure, to be more out in the open. He had never done that before.
What I noticed was the little guy had a smile on his face instantly as soon as you started up, and he turned and looked at you. I was intrigued by his happiness, a smile ear to ear, on his horse but looking at you. At the end when you ‘played’ with him, ‘whistled’ to him and the ‘shark attack’, awesome. Right, wifey? Totally, I liked that. You could see he wanted to be with you. And you let him strum it, it was all good. That was beautiful. I liked that.”
Yes, very responsive
The songs that you picked, they were perfect for kids, and they seemed to like the western one, too.
The songs that you picked, they were perfect for kids, and they seemed to like the western one, too.
D and S were more mellow, esp S. He usually is much louder, shouts before riding, and even while riding. We were talking about how the music started to calm him, and he even started to sing.
When my daughter first started Hippotherapy (physiotherapy on a horse), I was thrilled. It quickly became our favorite weekly therapeutic activity. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, Carolyn and her violin showed up. Now my daughter rides the horse to beautiful violin music.
In observing both my daughter and other clients, I have seen (and experienced for myself) that Carolyn’s music increases their overall engagement during their Hippotherapy session. Carolyn and her violin music provide another sensory input that truly makes therapy more holistic. I believe the music will continue to help my daughter get the most out of her Hippotherapy sessions, as it provides individualized and dynamic opportunities for auditory feedback, promotes concepts of cause and effect, is a stimulus for improving deep breathing and lung capacity, and adds to an environment a sense of warmth and safety. My daughter thoroughly enjoys hearing the music as well as interacting with it.
Carolyn provides a wonderful complementary service that she willingly customizes for every individual, both young and old. It has been a great addition to my daughter’s therapy!
Yes, it’s really nice!” It (the violin) did have impact because he (son) wrote about it voluntarily in his class
I love the music in the arena! It relaxes me and I’d like to hire you at home!
On the 23rd of October, my daughter experienced the benefit of music while participating in her therapeutic riding. The violin accompaniment was used as a cue which would lead into the next exercise or movement. Therapeutic riding along with the live violin music is a good fit.
Yes, I’m so pleased that the kids can have music to listen to, because they can all relate to it. It makes them feel good; it sounds good. You see them sit more upright, large smiles on their faces. Some move to the music, others you can tell they are enjoying the music, whether they hear it or not.
He loves music so he’s doing actions to the music. Oh yes, I think (it is different from before)...so, definitely.
I’m so happy to hear your violin. I feel like (it’s) a music concert. I’m so comfortable to hear your music. I want to hear every day. I need!” Laugh!!
It’s really a remarkable therapy when you see the combination of the horses and the music, and it’s touching all the cognitive parts of the children, and they respond. It’s a very safe and very stimulating environment for them.” She laughs and says “I am” (really enjoying it).
The music makes me feel alive, awake, and really connected to the moment.
The boy was really happy when you played the music. Thank you for doing that.
Music engages him on another level, before he gets on the horse. It makes his movements more intuitive, thinks less about his body and how it’s moving, helps him get in the groove more easily with his horse. (So) not overthinking….because, when he’s walking, he has to spend so much brain power thinking about where the next footstep is going to go. He doesn’t know where his feet are in space. When it sounds like he’s not paying attention, he is, because he’s busy thinking about staying upright, focused on not falling down. So, sometimes he doesn’t even answer. When on the horse, it’s easier because he doesn’t think about it, the horse is moving for him, and the music helps him to relax and not focus on what he needs to do to stay upright. He loves music, asks for ‘it’ to be turned up.,
Survey Comments from a Demonstration Day:
…relaxed
happiness
added ingredient
positive feelings to help the child succeed
we were….involved
We can see the value. Music has many benefits to all! Increased vocals, hands up and off, fabulous physical and interaction bonuses. Everyone was smiling and singing!
INSTRUCTOR
I thought it was great, with the boys, I really liked it. Especially A worked really well with the rewards, could see it calming him down from a potential upset.. Really good for getting A a little more focused because he was really listening to the music instead of being obsessed with the owls.
When you started playing a little bit as she was mounting and it peaked her interest and she still resisted getting on, but she didn’t show as much of that today. She said violin is her favourite instrument, and she really wants to learn how to play. It brought her up out of her ‘needing to be the best’ attitude.
The music really helped him because it gave him a rhythmic angle, being in time with the music, as his usual walks are inactive. He has issues with thinking in the moment. So the stopping and starting made him intense, but he showed he was able to work through his anxiety as his walk/halts became smoother; improvement was evident. It helps the horse too.
When J (his brother) was trotting, we asked him to look at him, and he was looking back and forth between you and J, and this lightbulb came on; he was trotting to the music! It was so cute. His Mom said he was possibly going to be tired today, because he’d been at the water park all morning. So we expected him to slip in the saddle, but he didn’t at all. He was quite perky.
He did really seem to like the music. He’d start to lose his focus and start to stim, but you were very good at just adding something in when I had a little bit of an issue with a behavior, and you just played a little something, which triggered his attention back on to you. I really liked that he had a ‘choice’ - “try again!” Lol!!
This past Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, we were very lucky to have Carolyn Canfield make a special visit to our facility to play her violin in a few of the lessons. Carolyn is currently developing a program called 15 minutes Live (now Violin for Wellness), which is designed to enrich, assist and complement a therapeutic riding program through the use of live violin music. Just a few of the benefits include: helping to relax the rider (and horse!); a way to reward the rider; a way to help the rider focus; and a way to help the rider (and horse) find a rhythm. These are just a few of the documented benefits. There are many more.
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 2 of the horses. I believe all of the riders enjoyed the experience & I would love to try it with another group I have that are more advanced. It was great fun experimenting, & I look forward to doing some more work with this. It’s actually been quite inspiring.