Finding a hippotherapist

This blog is intended to encourage and inspire others like me who want to begin a new and daring venture, so I'm going to spell out exactly what I did to get the process started. Note that I was responding to something my soul was calling me to do and I believed the universe or God would support me in it. If you are following a similar sense of your soul's calling, i believe you will experience the same support.


When the idea first came to me that i wanted to start riding again, I posted a notice in a group on Facebook, explaining that I was looking for a specialised riding instructor or occupational therapist who could help a blind person get back in the saddle. I actually only received one response, but it was enough to take me to the next step. I contacted the person who had responded and listened to her describe her work. She told me she is an occupational therapist specialising in equine-assisted therapy, mostly with children who are autistic or anxious. She had not worked with a blind person before but I could tell from the questions she asked that she could anticipate my needs and provide appropriate assistance and encouragement.

One drawback was that the stable she works at is very far from my home. It's literally on the other side of the city. When I typed the address into my GPS it told me that the trip would take an hour in the car. I was reluctant to ask my regular driver to take me there because the route involved so many freeways, intersections and off-ramps, and I knew I would feel nervous if we got lost far from home.

Thankfully, my husband was available to drive me there on a Saturday morning so I made an appointment. The place certainly is a long way from home and the access road to the farm is bounded by a very dodgy-looking squatter camp. However, the stables and arena themselves are neat and well-laid-out, reassuring me that everything would be fine.

Meanwhile, my niece had contacted me to ask if she could come too. She used to work on a stud farm but had to stop when she was thrown by an enormous stallion and ended up in a neck brace. Unable to ride for a year, she is missing horses desperately. Although it is still too soon after the accident for her to drive, she can do so in a week or two. Then we can drive to the stables together.

It amazes me how perfectly the pieces fell into place. It's another of those instances where things work together when you come into alignment with your soul's calling.