Therapeutic Riding with Andrea Swenson
Experience the joy and freedom of riding horses
Spokane Teachers Credit Union (STCU) over the last two weeks was running a contest ‘Who Do You Love’. A person could nominate their favorite charity to receive a donation from STCU. In the first week, the top ten charities were picked and Free Rein was in the running. Yesterday the top three were announced; with Free Rein coming in second. They will receive a donation of $1,500.
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.
I voted AND saw this wonderful result! Yay I am sooooooo happpy! Also thought it was interesting that Spokane Humane Society came in first! Although they do not help horses, at least that I know of…we love our animals too!