Therapeutic Riding Lessons
Sharon Hensley, M.A.
Morgan Hill, California
(408) 776-6878
 sharon1960@hughes.net

 

Sharon Hensley, M.A., Learning Specialist and Educational Therapist, teaches students lessons applicable to life and the classroom while walking the breadth of a horse corral.  Sitting in a saddle, many students are motivated to learn lessons they might formerly have resisted sitting at a desk! Sharon specializes in teaching children with learning disabilities and more severe special needs.
Each one-hour lesson begins with preparing the horse for riding and ends with a reverse of the warm-up routine. The main portion of the lesson consists of building horsemanship skills in tandem with reinforcing academic, social, and physical goals.  Lessons: $40 per hour session.

Follow John during a lesson.

Sharon exercises John's memory by allowing him to recall which equipment he should select first. He goes into the barn to get the brush.

Silently John brushes Sonny's coat, but Sharon asks him what he is doing.  She questions him again until John responds, "Brushing."

After saddling and mounting the horse, John follows Sharon's commands.  They review previously learned commands pairing language with the corresponding activity.
After trying several tries, he is able to follow the rhythmic command, "Up, up, up!"
John's lesson focuses on pairing motor activities with language, crossing the midline, and left-right integration.  

After several trips around the corral, John dismounts and properly ends the lesson.  While verbalizing his steps, John unfastens the saddle and returns it to the barn.
sharon1960@hughes.net