Matilda, Woody and Ibrahim share a love of horses, and all have Down syndrome

We wanted to highlight this as we approach the 21st week of the year as individuals with Down syndrome have three copies of chromosome 21. Whatever the age, sharing time with horses has been proven to be beneficial. The non-threatening, non-judgemental interaction with horses, and being part of the community of staff, volunteers and other participants at the yard all help develop social skills. And the outdoor exercise helps to counteract sedentary and perhaps solitary time spent at home.

Matilda is three and will break out into the biggest, most infectious smile when she sees her favourite horse Trigger. For her the immediate benefits of riding are about improving balance and core strength, the stimulation to the senses of Trigger’s smell and movement, and the scents and sights of Bushy Park. She’s definitely in her happy place with us, and is developing social confidence all the time. Riding is also proven to help with speech and she is definitely excelling in that department too!

My son Woody, now 12, has grown up around horses and has a natural affinity with them. He’s also a life force of irrepressible energy! When Woody was very young riding helped him with his core strength and developing his balance.  Now he is older the ponies help to teach him how to be calm, and about cause and effect, learning how the horses respond to how he behaves around them.  Woody loves to meet and greet people at the yard and get involved with stable duties.  He also loves helping at the field and carriage driving.  All these things help to keep him active and well.

Ibrahim has also been a regular at Park Lane for many years. He’s a valued member of the Park Lane family, where his ability as a rider, and willingness to help out around the yard are what count.  Ibrahim has a wide circle of friends from the stables which filters in to his social life outside, and all his stable time helps keep him fit and trim.

The benefits of individuals with Down syndrome spending time with horses are well-documented, and Matilda, Woody and Ibrahim are just three of many of our regular participants. If you’d like us to be able to provide more special moments for children like them, head to our Donate page.