Flora: a story of success!

In today’s world a child’s learning is serious business, particularly if you have a special needs child. In my daughter’s case: a special needs child who understands words- spoken and written – even though she cannot communicate verbally herself. A special needs child who needs help mastering routine tasks that the average child her age acquired long ago. Not to be deterred, she repeatedly keeps on trying to learn. Flora is also a special needs child whose eyes light up when any potential encounter with a fur or hair-covered animal is mentioned. Thankfully VTRA offers her just that.

Optimum play can be defined as offering physical and emotional learning, sensory development, use and development of language and expression, spatial awareness and social interaction while allowing for feelings of achievement.

Through Flora’s three years of riding with top-level, caring and sensitive instructors and volunteers at the VTRA, she has been offered this perfect form of engaging play. At the commencement of this program she didn’t even want to sit on a horse. Now my beautiful, lively, engaged and engaging special needs daughter is able to say “walk on” and “whoa” and signal “stop” and can use the reigns to direct her horse. It is why she is able to sit straight up and high in the saddle as she not only walks but also trots in unison with her horse. Not only that, she has also learned to change in sequence from reins to handle to reins, over the course of this exercise. Again these are simple tasks for many adults; but for small children or special needs persons they are more difficult still; and for those who are both young and have special needs, they are nothing short of monumental accomplishments!

VTRA offers the best type of learning: learning as play, with a horse – and a whole team of dedicated individuals behind them!