Bob Towne riding Thomas the horse.

Pat Menges rides horses for the exercise. Frances Bottom rides horses for the thrill. Bob Towne rides horses because it’s in his blood.

Each of these octogenarians hopped back in the saddle after many years away from horses or for the first time for different reasons. All experienced the horse’s healing power in unique ways and realized personal, life-enriching benefits.

The opportunity to ride and bond with horses came through The Garlands of Barrington and Walk On Farm’s therapeutic horsemanship program. Lisa Geisler, the Activity Director at Prairieview at The Garlands knew of the physical and emotional benefits that interacting with horses can bring and wanted to provide this unique opportunity to her residents.

Offered through The Garlands EngAGE program, equine therapy is yet another unique way for Garlands and Prairieview members to experience fulfilled lives. It’s an activity that provides physical, emotional and spiritual stimulation. Horse therapy inspires self-confidence, improves balance, poise, flexibility, strength and coordination. Participants engage with the horses while riding, driving a horse-drawn carriage, grooming and feeding them.

Taking the Reigns

Pat Menges with her horse, Roper.

Pat never imagined that she’d be riding a horse for the first time at age 82, but that’s exactly what she did after her Garlands physical therapist referred her to the program. Pat gets around using a scooter and riding a horse gives her a chance to engage her core muscles for better balance, posture and flexibility. She is raised by a hydraulic lift and lowered into the saddle on the horse’s back. Accompanied by guides, she takes the reigns and rides around the indoor arena. “I really enjoy it and feel completely safe,” says Pat, who has ridden several times.

“I saw Pat’s posture improve after just one ride,” recalls Geisler.

Frances grew up on a farm in Indiana surrounded by horses, but they were all working and not riding horses. As a child, Frances wanted to ride a horse so badly that she hopped a fence and jumped on the back of a cow. Finally, as a teenager and a young woman she got the chance to ride real horses.

Fifty years later, at age 80 Frances is riding again. “It felt wonderful! I was scared but enjoyed it thoroughly. It was a great experience and very exciting,” says Frances, who also uses the hydraulic lift to mount the horse.

Bob says that his love for horses runs in the family genes. Bob grew up in Chicago and enjoyed riding horses as a teenager. He proudly recalls the story of his grandfather riding a horse cross country from Ohio to New York. Today, Bob’s son, who lives in nearby Barrington Hills, owns horses that sleep in a barn that Bob helped his son build.

To see Bob just a year shy of 90 on horseback or holding the reigns of the carriage, it’s clear that Bob’s best friend is a horse, not a dog. “I like horses,” says Bob with a smile and twinkle in his eye. “The horses at Walk On are very good and respond well to the reigns.”

Thanks to Walk On, these three and others from The Garlands get to do something that they thought they could no longer enjoy. Walk On provides equine assisted activities to people with physical, social and emotional disabilities. The barn is specially equipped with a hydraulic lift, horses well-suited for therapy and trained assistants to help the riders. One of the main goals of Walk On, like The Garlands, is to inspire people to advance to their highest potential.

Knowing how important it is for riders to bond with their horses, Walk On encourages “face time” after each ride. Chairs are set up so the riders can look directly into their horses’ big brown eyes while they feed them carrots and other treats, groom them and enjoy a horsy nuzzle. The riders can say “thank you” for a good, safe ride.

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