BUTTE — A riding club in Butte believes one of the best ways to bring therapy to disable children is through the help of horses.
For 30 years, the Butte Special Riders Club has been giving horse rides to children with disabilities.
“They get excited, they don’t want to leave, they’re ready to get on, they’re ready to ride, they’re confidence skyrockets,” said 15-year-old Sierra Bolton, who volunteers with the program.
The club held a horse show to raise money from the program recently at the Kissock Horse Center. Britt Kissock Robinson started the program when she was a teen as a 4-H project and has seen how this therapy helps kids.
“The way the horse moves is different from what they’re getting in their conventional therapy programs, just articulates joints a little bit different, yeah maybe there is something to this,” said Robinson.
Volunteer Barbara Gray witnessed this program help a child who never spoke suddenly change.
“After a third riding session, that child spoke a whole sentence, and I was in tears, I was just, I don’t know, there’s nothing better than seeing a child like this accomplish something,” said Gray.
Not only do the volunteers want to help, but they always believe the beautiful animals have something within them that makes them want to help the children too.
“They’re going to kind of read what you’re feeling and they’re going to help you through that, they’re going to help you feel better about yourself and feel more confident, so I think these horses do that for these kids,” said Bolton.
The program runs from May through August and needs donations and volunteers.
