Horses, Shamans and Autism in Mongolia
27. Apr, 2009 
14 Comments
Andrew Campbell of The Regal Vizsla turned me on to this fascinating topic. Thank you, Andrew!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfTDo_ifliI&hl=en&fs=1]
Rowan Isaacson is a seven-year-old boy with autism. Until the age of five he had suffered every symptom the illness threw every possible symptom and limitation his way. Rowan’s father and mother, Rupert and Kristin, were heartbroken that their son’s life was filled with wild tantrums and little meaningful connection. “You’re saying goodbye to a bunch of dreams that I think every parent has of a certain type of childhood, and a certain type of relationship with your child,” said Rupert.
“He would just stare off into space,” Isaacson said. “I was worried it was going to get progressively worse and that eventually, he might float away from us entirely.”
Rupert Isaacson and his son Rowan
One day in the midst of a tantrum Rowan wandered off into a neighboring horse paddock, and scrambled under the hooves of a mare. The absolute worst place for a small child. Surprisingly, the mare, whose name is Betsy, sniffled the boy, accepting him.
“I’ve never seen a horse offer that to a babbling two-and-a-half-year-old,” he said. “Rowan and Betsy obviously had some sort of connection.”
Isaacson quickly made arrangements with the neighbor for Rowan to “ride” Betsy, because that mystical connection held the key to his son’s apparent happiness. Isaacson, a horse trainer for most of his adult life, began horseback riding along with with Rowan, finding that the rocking rhythm of the animal’s stride soothed his son. Throughout his horseback riding, Rowan continued with more orthodox therapies, including applied behavioral analysis, one of the most commonly used therapies for kids with autism. Isaacson quickly made arrangements with the neighbor for Rowan to “ride” Betsy.
He would be in the midst of a terrible tantrum and Rupert would put him on Betsy, and it was like that – it’s instant,” Kristin said. “He would calm, he would stop … His language just started to pour out of him,” Rupert said. “And the door into his mind sort of opened a crack. Whenever he was on a horse he wouldn’t tantrum. When I put him on Betsy that would be the only time his tantrums would stop, any other situation and he could turn at any point. We wanted to keep him on a horse as long as possible.
The transformation with Betsy was so extreme, his parents bet on another extreme chance: a quest to Mongolia, where the connection between humans, horses, and healing has been very strong for centuries. In the summer of 2007 when Rowan was 5, Isaacson and his family went to Mongolia, spending four weeks where Rowan was happiest: on the back of a horse.
“Before we went to Mongolia, Rowan was incontinent and subject to neurological fits and tantrums and was cut off from his peers,” said Isaacson. “We came back with a child that was toilet trained and no longer having tantrums. He made his first friend on that trip, too.”
It was the most extraordinary thing. It really was remarkable to see how quickly he changed, Pretty mind blowing actually.
said Rowan’s mother Kristin.
More than two years later, the progress continues with traditional therapy and horseback riding.
Rupert Isaacson and his son Rowan
Is Rowan cured of autism? His parents are quick to say “no.” But at the same time, he’s doing remarkably better, and they believe his connection with horses is a big reason why.
Others are in agreement, yet others argue that Rowan’s transformation gives false hope to thousands of parents of autistic children. While therapeutic riding programs have grown in popularity among parents of autistic children, not every child makes a similar transformation.
Instructor Amy Causey says science hasn’t explained it, but she sees once-unreachable children respond.
“For some reason they have that other sense that they can connect and understand how that horse is feeling and that helps them understand how they are feeling,” Amy said.
Rupert Isaacson has written a book, “Horse Boy,” about the journey, and has opened a center where other autistic children can find their own connection with horses for free. “Every family goes to Mongolia in their own way,” Rupert said. “Every family goes to the ends of the earth.”
As for the ongoing debate about Hippotherapy and autism, the answer hasn’t yet arrived. We know that animals provide a low-pressure environment for kids to practice certain types of social skills. Therapists use horses as social objects for children to relate to, for learning how to read more subtle social signals. There is little doubt that this skill is important, and that it can be learned. In itself, it is not a cure for autism. Perhaps Hippotherapy can address many of the symptoms of autism, allowing for some self-regulation and mood improvement. It may also help with accepting certain kinds of stimulation from the environment. The resulting calmer, less agitated child will be happier and easier to live with, more enjoyable family member.
And for the Isaacson’s, life is far happier today than it was before Rowan began riding.
Isaacson and his wife founded The New Trails Center , which offers homeschooling and equine therapy for kids like Rowan.
“Every parent of an autistic child knows they have to go up a few blind alleys before they find what will work for their child,” said Isaacson. “No one should be so hamstrung by skepticism that it forces them into an extreme position that they stop following possibilities.”
“Rowan was healed of some of the dysfunctions he had and that, for us, was miraculous,” he said.
“That made the difference between a horrible life and a life where Rowan’s life and ours were in harmony.”
Mr. Isaacson has optioned feature film rights for “The Horse Boy” to Mark Ordesky, an executive producer of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Ileen Maisel, an executive producer of the “Golden Compass.” Mr. Isaacson is writing the screenplay. I am looking forward to reading the book and watching the film!
References for this post:
The Daily Mail.com
Patricia E Bauer.com
The Horse Boy
Blisstree.com
ABC News.com
About Behavioral Analysis
ABC.com
CNN.com
© 2009 enlightened horsemanship through touch
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Wow – great story and I too anticipate the book and movie. It’s wonderful reading about horses facilitating such transformation.
Autism and the spectrum disorders are not my specialty, but my personal take on horses and these kids is that somehow, being prey animals, horses tune in at a level these kids can “read” w/o being overstimulated.
If you think about how subtle horse cues are w/in a herd, they need do very little to communicate. Imagine that level of communication with a child for whom anything “loud” or busy completely blows their radar.
I admit that I am not a very scientific person. I trust what I see and what I feel, even if I have no clue how it’s working – but what I have personally seen and experienced with horses, my own self, my children, clients, and the parents of clients, it is no stretch at all to imagine horses doing magic with spectrum disordered children.
On a daily basis I experience telepathic communication with one or more of my herd. To me, that’s not “twilight zone” stuff but simply that we’re communicating on a frequency that we simply don’t know much about. Why wouldn’t that be true for these kids and horses?
I hope I am not too far off in believing that many of us who live and work with horses do so because the horses have healed us in some way, so deeply, than no person could ever do. This story is so beautiful. It is a reminder and proof of what many of us feel and believe, but keep hidden inside. We must remember to believe. Thank you for sharing it…
Thank you so much, and I will do the same. I am amazed and delighted at the sense of community that exists or is being created here. One more way we all can heal, our families, our selves, our world.
gg
I’m very happy to see this story being told and anticipate the movie. My husband and I have been involved in therapeutic riding programs for over 20 years; first as volunteers and now with our own facility. We have seen the difference horses have made in the lives of persons with autism and other disabilities.
Linda
I’m very pleased to see you here. I like your site very much–pretty, clean and informative. No clutter, but all the info!
As one whose family has been positively affected by therapeutic riding, I thank you for your contributions. I hope one day to work at a facility myself. It would be like coming full circle.
I look forward to learning a lot from you and your site.
billie
I think this is a fascinating story, and both book and movie should be really interesting, not to mention tear-jerkers. I usually stay away from the latter, but I won’t be able to resist this one.
What’s just as interesting is the backlash of people who insist that horses cannot help with autism, and that animals in general can do little if anything for kids who have trouble reaching out to others and who can’t accept stimulation.
Perhaps you can shed some light on the topic?
I am no expert on autism, and no little about most disabilities (my daughter’s excepted), but it seems to me that animals DO impact our nervous systems in positive ways. I can’t wait to learn more about all of this. As pro- and con- people speak out, we can learn a lot!
billie
Thank you. You have said –albeit so much more professionally–what I mean to say.
highmountainmuse
welcome!!!!
I’m delighted to see you here.
I can speak for myself and my child only, but I think you have it spot on. Horses literally saved my daughter’s life, and through hers, saved mine. They have given me a life in every way possible. No human could ever give me what horses have.
The story is deeply meaningful, and not just for those who have autistic children.
In the words of Fox Mulder, “I want to believe…”
Oh, and PS I have added you to my blogroll. I hope my readers check out your fantastic offerings.
“many of us who live and work with horses do so because the horses have healed us in some way”
i know for me it’s true, and i’m a believer. i am not autistic, but as a child i was painfully shy. i always felt more comfortable around animals, and related to them better than humans. i was drawn to horses from the moment i first saw one. it was probably through my relationship with them that i learned to develop relationships with people, and learning to communicate with horses helped me communicate with people, as well as to sense emotions, interpret body language and behavior, predict intention, etc. in people – something that probably gave me the tools i needed to really interact with others.
and even now, when i become frustrated with the world or disenchanted with people, horses are like my sanctuary, where their simple honesty, trust and generosity seem to heal all wounds. of course, horses won’t ’speak’ to everyone; i know people who claim to feel nothing when with horses. those who have never felt their magnetic pull will probably never understand what it can do, and we’ll probably never convince them. i’ve stopped trying. i just know i’m not happy without horses in my life, and i wouldn’t be the same person today without them.
jme
Your story has been repeated many many times over the course of history. Which doesn’t detract from its touching nature.
I can never fathom that horses are not sanctuary for all people, but I guess you are right, they don’t “speak” to everyone. Sad.
I’m so happy they speak to us.