Riding with confidence: Therapy horse brings serenity to Sask. boy

The smile on Sawyer Webb's face lets his mother know just how much he's enjoying his sessions at Serenity Farm.

Sawyer and his mom, Carmen, have visited the Southey, Sask., farm a couple of times for the young boy to ride therapy horses.

"I've only heard good things about therapy riding. It benefits kids with special needs in a positive way," Carmen told CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend. "So I thought, there's really no harm in trying."

Along with improving Sawyer's sleep, Carmen is hopeful the lessons can help her son gain some confidence, develop strength and give him a chance to be involved in something athletic.

Sawyer is just one of the children with autism that teacher Erin Fletcher has worked with.

Fletcher said no matter who her student is, the key is to make sure to take things slow and not set any expectations.

For Sawyer's first lesson Fletcher had his dad walk alongside the boy as he sat on Light the therapy horse, holding Sawyer to stabilize him.

"He started to relax and giggle," Fletcher described.

By his third session, Sawyer didn't need his parents to stabilize him.

"What I've seen is it starts with the actual physical process of riding," Fletcher said of therapy riding. "Their muscles, circulation and nervous system — through the spine — are stimulated. And often the most-immediate results are they're more relaxed."

Carmen is also noticing Sawyer's confidence improving. After his second session, Carmen took Sawyer to a park where he tried something he hadn't before.

Now when Carmen tells Sawyer it's time to go for a lesson, he starts to smile.

"He's not very verbal so he's not able to tell me many of his thoughts or his feelings, but his reaction to things will tell me right away what he's feeling. So the fact that he's excited each time is a really great sign."