Therapeutic Riding with Andrea Swenson
Experience the joy and freedom of riding horses
All horses love Halloween, even the horses at the Free Rein barn. They decided to take a week off from giving rides and are going to celebrate Halloween tomorrow in the way all horses do; extra hay!
I actually had a week off before this. Our family flew to Tampa Bay, Florida, and enjoyed a week at the beach on Captiva Island with our friends, the McLendons. We had a fabulous time, the weather was fantastic, and the company was great.
I am looking forward to seeing Chester next week!
My name is Andrea Swenson and I live in Spokane, Washington. I am 27 years old and have a disability called cerebral palsy which affects my muscles.
Sitting up straight is hard for me. I use a wheelchair and a Vanguard which is a communication device.
It felt incredible when I started participating with Free Rein Therapeutic Riding in June of 2010. I am able to ride once a week which has helped my neck, back and abdominal muscles; and my back pain has not been as severe. Riding also has helped my flexibility, making a lot of other activities easier.
I can hardly wait each week for my next horse riding adventure. Riding is so different than using my wheelchair. It makes me feel in control and free.
This is where I ride in Spokane.
Right now there are four horses and my favorite is Chester. He is very gentle, so I don’t have to worry about being bounced around too much.
The staff are very helpful too. They have a lot of experience in Therapeutic Riding, so they know all the right things to do to keep me safe. I like them all and they make it so much fun to go there.
The “hippos” are such big animals. Sometimes they scare me. If they ever stepped on me it would definitely hurt. But I trust them and they know that they are helping me.
Maybe we could ride together some time.
Hi Andrea! Yay for horses and hay and Halloween day and for being able to fly to Tampa Bay! …and the week at the beach on Captiva Island!! Oh WOW! Good for the horses to get some R & R too, although even in one week I know you miss Chester!!
Thanks for the update! I love going to Aunties and seeing your book in The Local Author section!