Rebuilding Independence - From the Ground Up

Blindness takes away your independence.

Down Syndrome takes away your independence.

Autism takes away your independence.

Therapeutic horseback riding helps you get it back.

At least that’s the way Andrea Colella looks at it. She’s the director of From the Ground Up, located in Pompey. Colella says she has riders with – as mentioned – anything from Autism to Down Syndrome, even people recovering from a Stroke.

The lessons are pretty much just like a typical horseback riding lesson, but Colella says these riders get a lot more out of it. She says the more they can do on their own, the better they will feel about themselves.

“We are focused on independence,” she says. “Seeing them go from being completely dependent on spotters that guide the horse, to slowly being able to do it own their own, is pretty special.”

Therapeutic horseback riding isn’t a new concept. Colella says it’s been around for about 30 years. But it’s still not a widely recognized treatment option by the medical world.

“The hope is that someday not only will doctors prescribe it,” says Colella, “insurance companies will pay for it. But my understanding is for that to happen, there needs to be more research.”

While that process leisurely works itself out, Colella says her biggest reward is the look on all her riders’ faces.

“Most of them really enjoy being here,” she says. “It’s not a chore.”

Disease takes away their independence.

Therapeutic horseback riding slowly helps them get it back.