Just writing out all those dates and places made me tired. I imagine Rupert isaacson must be wondering,

if this is October 12, where am I?

Yet he continues to add more dates to the tour of this increasingly popular film. I hope this whirlwind pays off in the form of not only greater awareness of autism, but also of the role that animals can play in changing lives. Please check the Zeitgeist Films site for updated listings in your area.

This is a beautiful moment of connection, BUT I think Rowan should be wearing a helmet and proper footwear.

© 2009 enlightened horsemanship through touch and Kim Cox Carneal

View a preview of the film

Read an article about the book in the New York Times

Read a piece on the book and film in Well, a section of the New York Times with commentary by Temple Grandin, PhD

Meet Rupert Isaacson and the filmmaker, Michel Scott

Buy the book on Amazon

View the trailer

If you can make it, it’s well worth it. The visuals are incredible, and the story is just mind-blowing.

VENUE		CITY		STATE		DATE
	CALIFORNIA
	Shattuck Theatre		Berkeley		California		Starts October 16
	***With a special appearance by Rupert Isaacson on opening weekend
	Rancho Niguel		Laguna Niguel		California		Starts October 16
	Camelot Theatres		Palm Springs		California		Starts October 16
	Hillcrest Cinemas		San Diego		California		Starts September 11
	Landmark Theatre		San Francisco		California		Starts October 16
	***With a special appearance by Rupert Isaacson on opening weekend
	Rafael Film Center		San Rafael		California		Starts October 19
	Regency South Coast Village		Santa Ana		California		Starts October 9
	UC Santa Barbara		Santa Barbara		California		November 24 only
	Nickelodeon Theatre		Santa Cruz		California		Starts October 2
	Nuart Theatre		W Los Angeles		California		Starts October 9
	COLORADO
	Landmark Theatres*		Denver		Colorado		Starts November 27
	*exact venue to be determined
	CONNECTICUT
	Real Art Ways		Hartford		Connecticut		October 16 to October 22
	HAWAII
	Honolulu Academy of Arts		Honolulu		Hawaii		October 6 through October 16
	MASSACHUSETTS
	Kendall Square		Boston		Massachusetts		Starts November 6
	MINNESOTA
	Lagoon Cinema		Minneapolis		Minnesota		Starts October 23
	MISSOURI
	Tivoli Theatre		St. Louis		Missouri		Novermber 25 to December 3
	NEW YORK
	Clearview Squire Cinema		Great Neck		New York		September 24 only
	IFC Center		New York		New York		Starts September 30
	Rupert Isaacson will attend Q&A on the opening day
	George Eastman House		Rochester		New York		October 28 Only
	PENNSYLVANIA
	Ritz at the Bourse		Philadelphia		Pennsylvania		Starts October 2nd
	TEXAS
	Arbor Cinemas @ Great Hills 8		Austin		Texas		Starts September 18
	Magnolia Theater		Dallas		Texas		Starts September 11
	Rupert Isaacson will attend Q&A on the opening weekend (date TBD)
	Angelika Film Center		Houston		Texas		Starts September 11
	Rupert Isaacson will attend Q&A on the opening weekend (date TBD)
	Bijou At The Crossroads		San Antonio		Texas		Starts September 18
	Rupert Isaacson will attend Q&A on the opening weekend (date TBD)
	WASHINGTON
	Varsity Theatre		Seattle		Washington		Starts November 6
	WASHINGTON D.C
	E Street Cinema		Washington		Washington D.C		Starts October 16

© 2009 enlightened horsemanship through touch and Kim Cox Carneal

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I don’t know how I feel about the “spontaneous submission” comment. It’s a issue I have with Mr. Isaacson’s entire mindset toward horses, which I understand results from his career as a traditional trainer. I would sincerely love to talk with him about this.

The video is quite interesting, however. He discusses the progress Rowan has made after returning from Mongolia, and how horses and animals in general help to reach children who are neurologically different. It’s that last point that makes this book so special. I sincerely hope that the success of the book and the film, in spite of the controversy they have engendered in the world of autism studies and parenting, will draw attention to the absolute magic that animals can work.

Remaining hard dates:

April 28, 7 PM, Seattle, WA
Third Place Books
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

April 30, 7 PM Fairway, KS
Unity Temple (Rainy Day Books Event)
707 W 47th St
Kansas City, MO 64112

This will be updated soon, so please check back to see if Mr. Isaacson will be coming to your area!

Read about the Horse Boy Foundation in Elgin, Texas.

© 2009 enlightened horsemanship through touch

If you like what you have been reading, please subscribe to the RSS Feed, and visit Bloggers Choice Awards to vote for Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch.

This evening, Fran Jurga of the Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines and Fran Jurga’s Hoof Blog contacted me to let me know that Rupert Isaacson will be visiting Virginia’s Horse Country in the autumn to talk about his book, The Horse Boy, which chronicles his life with his son, Rowan, who suffers from autism, and their trip to Mongolia to ride horses and receive healings from local Shamanic practitioners.

This is something I may have to return to Virginia to participate in!

In the meantime, Fran sent this video:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7GHzselNmA&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]

Check back for more information on Horse Boy and Rupert Isaacson’s visit this fall.

© 2009 enlightened horsemanship through touch

If you like what you have been reading, please subscribe to the RSS Feed, and visit Bloggers Choice Awards to vote for Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch.

[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

If you like what you have been reading, please subscribe to the RSS Feed, and visit Bloggers Choice Awards to vote for Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch.