Should Children with Autism Ride Horses? Why Not?

This Business Week article  and this story from Lake Tahoe   caught my attention because we have talked about getting MJ on a horse a few times.   Some parents of autistic children have reported that their kids are more verbal and more connected to others via eye contact following a riding lesson.   The parents of the  child described in the Tahoe story are reporting that he is no longer afraid of cats, dogs and other animals. I’m not expecting developmental miracles from any horseback riding that MJ might try, but it does stand to reason that this type of physical activity may provide welcome sensory input and help with his coordination and balance.  If he is inspired to speak after sitting on a horse, well that would be great too.  Given the fact that we’re in New Jersey’s farm country and we’ve got a pony ride just past the local supermarket, I expect that we’ll give it a shot at some point. Photo courtesy of  Per Ola Wiberg’s Flickr Photostream ------------------------------ Do you think Children with Autism should ride Horses? Image Source