It has been one year since Adeline started Hippotherapy. It is a combination of speech and physical therapy and we both love it. She was the smallest client they had taken on but boy how she has grown. I walked in last night to observe through the window and looked away since the child on the horse riding past was too big to be mine. It was her, and I was shocked. Adeline was sitting up tall and strong. A year ago, she was hunched over and breathing fast. I am so proud.
We grew carrots this year and never picked them out of our garden. I decided we should take them to feed the horse (Lila stayed back with Daddy.) The wiggly leaves were sure to give Adeline a challenge. To my surprise, you put that girl in a barn and she can do things I would swear she couldn't. She put her helmet away, up high and oddly stacked, and went right to the feeding bucket. She had no fear of the large horse walking by her and wasn't put off by the wiggly carrot. Adeline stuffed it in the bowl and headed right toward Chloe. The last time I saw her do this, she needed a lot of physical support. Feeding the horse out of the bowl requires strength because the horse pushes down rather hard on the bowl. You can see her little muscles working and white fingertips squeezing the bucket tight. What a big girl.
On a speech note, Miss Heather is currently reevaluating The Belle. It takes multiple sessions to complete the tests but so far so good. She has made so much progress. I am anxious to hear where she falls!!
