Cross-posted from The Tennessean
Report by SHERRY MITCHELL
HENDERSONVILLE, TN (Oct. 4, 2010) — Born with cerebral palsy, which has left her unable to walk, talk or eat, except through a feeding tube, Mary McCauley has certainly had her share of uphill challenges.
But when the young girl is around horses, she seems to enjoy life more.
Now, the third-grade Beech Elementary student is the inspiration and namesake for a new therapeutic horse program for special needs children called Mary’s Hope. It all began when Marty Marion, co-director of Marion Stables in Hendersonville, designed a horse cart for Mary, who uses a wheelchair and is unable to physically ride a horse.
The invention was an immediate success.
“It didn’t take long for us to see the impact that it had on Mary,” stable co-director Debbie Smith said. “We all started seeing it, and it dawned on us, this was something we needed to start — a program for special needs children.”
The physical movement of riding in the cart helps children build their core strength, cognitive skills and social awareness, Smith said. Read full report >>
Tuesday's Horse 
Proven time and time again, being with a horse is definitely life changing and always for the good…….. I have the first hand experience with this , for myself, they will instill back to you your lost pride, your courage, your love of others, they will give you your will to live, take away your saddnesses and replace it with love better than any pill could ever do, they are natural healing, they bring to you their power and freely give it to you…..they bring to you their spirit ,and their magic, the best thing about it is they all have it to give , and they give it freely, they are not only mind healing , but also body healing………………………………………..Again proven…………………They belong to everyone , you positively cannot not walk away without being a better, happier person….. Their enduring qualities effect you in a most magical and mystical way………………………………. There are those of us who owe who we are to a horse……………………….
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I love stories like this.
Just goes to show you how a connection between a horse and a human can be life changing. The horse giving back to them, their quality of life.
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