Nicole McCombie can easily recall the first time she brought her students to Slippery Rock University’s equestrian center.
“Only one of my students would get on a horse,” says McCombie, life skills support teacher at Union Area School District. “A lot of them were afraid and didn’t even want to go near the horses. By the third week, I had all but two kids ride the horses. It was just amazing how quickly they’ve grown to love it, have grown to love the horses, and how they’ve built an emotional bond with the horses so fast.”
McCombie’s third- through eighth-grade students, who are on the autism spectrum, now join classes from Mohawk Area School District for equestrian therapy every other Friday at the Storm Harbor Equestrian Center at Slippery Rock University. The equestrian center provides weekly equine-assisted activities for persons of all ages with cognitive, physical, emotional and social disabilities.
That first visit was memorable for McCombie and Carla Krisuk, the latter who is a special education teacher for seventh-graders through students age 21 at Mohawk High School; but it was the aftermath that stood out the most. McCombie says it was not only the students’ joy that was evident, they also seemed more relaxed on the ride home.
“Even my kids that are usually more tense and standoffish were more emotionally attached,” McCombie says. “They were hugging the horses and giving them a kiss, which was amazing to see and showing such affection.”
It’s been about a year since McCombie and Krisuk first brought their students to Slippery Rock. Being a graduate of the university with a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education, McCombie knew the benefits that would be available to students.
McCombie says that some of the benefits of equestrian therapy include relaxing tight muscles, increasing balance, building muscle strength, increasing hand-eye coordination and promoting language and social skills. Research also shows that horses have the ability to respond immediately and give feedback to the rider’s action or behavior. Horses can also mirror a rider’s emotion.
“The horses can almost sense that fear and are able to give kids space,” Krisuk says. “Sometimes they won’t even begin moving if they have a child on their back and they know the child is initially afraid. They wait until the child is feeling less stressed, and then start moving.”
Krisuk says it’s not only the horses that make the outings special, but also the staff at Storm Harbor who take the time to get to know the students and introduce them to an array of activities. Because of this compassion, students become more comfortable with the horses, staff and volunteers.
“It’s so nice to see the kids open up and communicate with these animals, and to see them let their guard down and just openly communicate with the staff there, too,” Krisuk says. “They develop a trust in them as [the staff is] leading them around with these animals.”
McCombie explains a typical outing at Slippery Rock consists of 12 students — seven from Union and five from Mohawk — who participate in several activities.
The students are split into two groups. Six students start inside the arena to ride or walk a horse with assistance from volunteers. The second group of students starts in the grooming area, where they are taught about brushing and caring for the horses. They feed and pet the horses before the groups rotate.
“Their favorite part, of course, is riding the horses,” McCombie says.
She recalls when one of her students wouldn’t go near the horses at first, but now his mother is bringing him on a regular basis because of the great benefits she’s observed.
“Once he actually got on the horse, he did not stop smiling the rest of the school day or all weekend,” McCombie says. “He came back on Monday still so happy, and it was so much joy for him. It was the first time he ever got to experience anything like that. That was definitely one of the best experiences I got to see.”
It’s not only the time the students spend at the center that’s special, but also the comraderie they build with one another. Because they take several field trips together, Krisuk says she has seen friendships and more socialization developing between Mohawk and Union district students.
“It’s been nice for my students to get to know those kids,” she says. “Now they greet each other each week when they get on the bus and vice versa, and they care about each other, so that’s been a valuable experience too.”
