A horse of a different color

Finally, an upbeat post for the Gingerlings, one and all.

By Saturday Hannah was back at full speed so we had her first actual hippotherapy session (as opposed to the $175 eval session).



It is probably a little difficult to tell from these two shots that she was in a much more upbeat mood about the horses. Well, maybe the absence of screaming tells the tale, but she was happier.



I had asked for permission to watch another child's session so Hannah could observe another child not hating it, and I'd talked Claire into riding to show Hannah how it was done. We'd practiced putting helmets on now and then over the past few weeks, tried for pony rides and failed, but this week we just went for it. She watched the horses and we ate our picnic lunch in the car and then came back in, expecting Claire to go first to set the stage, but the therapist pulled the bait and switch on me, got Hannah to come willingly into her arms, asked if she could do tough love and just get her started. Claire was a bit disappointed not to be needed to get things going, but then Hannah started wailing so they sent me to the office to get out of her sight. By all accounts, as soon as I was missing from the picture, she stopped crying and performed every task and riding position as requested, including color identification (WTF, she doesn't talk much) but she apparently rode like a pro. Finally after the session was done they came and got me out of the office, where I'd been reading a book on the body parts of the horse to Claire (she liked flanks, loins, and manes) and then they let Claire have a spin on Rocky while Hannah looked on jealously. I guess I have to get horseback riding for them both, which definitely won't be covered by my insurance. And probably neither will Hippotherapy which my insurance considers to not be really a type of OT since it doesn't work on the hand. Now, I'll appeal, and quite possibly kick some ass while I do it and possibly succeed, but it burns me that I have to spend any energy doing this. So it is OK to pay for my child to stick a hand she doesn't want to use in a tub of kidney beans but not to ride a horse and ultimately hold the reins?

Now, Hannah hugs the pictures of horses in her books every time instead of just some times, and if I ask if she wants to go ride Rocky again, she nods yes instead of squealing "un-unh!"

Hooray for progress!

Now, to get an extra job to pay for the sessions.