HORSE SHOW TO BENEFIT DISABLED KIDS.Byline: Amy Raisin raisin, in botany and cooking raisin, dried fruit of certain varieties of grapevines bearing grapes with a high content of sugar and solid flesh. Although the fruit is sometimes artificially dehydrated, it is usually sun-dried. Darvish Staff Writer SAUGUS - Matt Walker, a 12-year-old autistic autistic /au·tis·tic/ (aw-tis´tik) characterized by or pertaining to autism. boy diagnosed with a rare disease that affects his motor skills and physical growth, sat on a bale of hay Saturday and recalled the first time he rode a horse. ``I was jumping like Jell-O, and I was focusing straight ahead,'' said the blond boy his family calls ``Matty.'' That first ride was about three years ago, when his parents enrolled their oldest child in Heads-Up Therapy on Horseback on the back of a horse; mounted or riding on a horse or horses; in the saddle. See also: Horseback , a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. in Saugus that helps disabled children improve their coordination, socialization socialization /so·cial·iza·tion/ (so?shal-i-za´shun) the process by which society integrates the individual and the individual learns to behave in socially acceptable ways. so·cial·i·za·tion n. and self-esteem. Matty and his siblings attended the Heads-Up Therapy second annual Country Horse Faire on Saturday at the Jump for Joy Equestrian Center. The fund raiser A Fund Raiser' is an organized event, attempting to collect money. The money to be collected is usually for a specific item or need. The event also can entail gimmicks or activities to promote donor interest. for the organization featured a cowboy magician, live music, crafts vendors, live horse shows and game area where kids mined for gold and played ring toss. Nancy Pitchford started the therapy ranch in 1985 with one horse and two disabled children. It soon emerged as a nonprofit organization where local children with disabilities - from mental retardation mental retardation, below average level of intellectual functioning, usually defined by an IQ of below 70 to 75, combined with limitations in the skills necessary for daily living. to cerebral palsy cerebral palsy (sərē`brəl pôl`zē), disability caused by brain damage before or during birth or in the first years, resulting in a loss of voluntary muscular control and coordination. - were taught to ride and care for carefully chosen horses. Pitchford understood that the gait of a horse is similar that of a human, so putting children - especially those with diseases that hinder healthy muscle growth - atop horses was a natural and fun way to help the young riders improve their body movement. Matty's mom, Lori Walker, said she read about Heads-Up Therapy and heard about the concept in different support groups. The Canyon Country mother of three enrolled her oldest in the program three years ago and has been bringing him to the Bouquet Canyon Road facility every Saturday since then. Matty tends to walk on his toes, which is a characteristic of Dubowitz syndrome Dubowitz syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by microcephaly, growth retardation and a characteristic facial appearance (small, round, triangular shaped with a pointed, receding chin, a broad, wide-tipped nose, and wide-set eyes with drooping eyelids. , Walker said. The horse therapy has helped address that. ``I didn't notice a change in him at first, but then it gave him some help with toe walking toe walking Orthopedics A defective gait, in which the Pts walk on 'tip-toes' due to force of habit, congenital tight heel cords or cerebral palsy with mild spasticity ,'' she said. ``It stretched his calves, which is good for him. Horse therapy is an independent, regular activity that he really enjoys. He was scared the first time, but he loves coming.'' Heads-Up helps about 100 children each year, but could not cater to so many riders, Pitchford said, if it weren't for the help of some unlikely volunteers. The cadets that help with the horses and the children are juveniles from Camp Scott and Camp Scudder, two detention facilities not far from Heads-Up ranch. ``These kids (from the camps) have something in common with the riders, and that's low self-esteem,'' Pitchford said. ``They've never gotten a pat on the back and (heard) 'Good job.' Everything's been about the negative, and this is a great way to reinforce the positive.'' The fair will continue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Jump for Joy Equestrian Center, 28440 San Francisquito Canyon Road, Saugus. Tickets are $3 for adults and $2 for children 9 and older. All children 8 and under are admitted free. Amy Raisin Darvish, (661) 257-5254 amy.raisin(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) Todd Smith and his daughter Audrey, 2, right, practice panning for gold at the Jump for Joy equestrian benefit Saturday. Above, Morgan Slomanski, 8, plays with a yo-yo. Matthew Simmons/Special to the Daily News |
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