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Sometimes, when five-year-old Cowboy Cash is on his horse, he spreads his arms and pretends he is flying. And sometimes, he raises one arm to the sky with a sense of accomplishment, as if he is carrying the Statue of Liberty’s torch. Cash Zaragoza is a special needs child, and riding the therapy horses at Cooper’s Calling is something he truly connects with.
“He looks forward to coming out here,” said Cash’s mother, Maria Zaragoza. “He knows his horses by name, and he knows what time and what day of the week is for riding. It is great to see the excitement it brings him.”
Cash was one of Cooper’s Calling’s first students, signing up shortly after the organization opened in August 2022. Maria became interested after finding out that riding horses might help with Cash’s hypotonia, a low-muscle tone condition.
“His neurologist says that he now has a really good core strength,” Maria said. It’s also been helping with his mobility, so his walking is becoming more independent. It has definitely helped with his emotional wellness and his confidence level.”
Cooper’s Calling co-founder Bailey Rianda said that the program they initially planned out for their dozen students had been constantly readjusted because the children kept exceeding the goals and expectations that were set for them.
“Our riders have gone from being wary of the horses to being able to ride by themselves,” she said. “It has just been tremendous to watch these children grow in their journey.”
Cash was not always as confident on a horse as he is now. Maria said that Cash does not really understand safety and, when first confronted with the horses, he was uncomfortable and frightened. This is not particularly unusual, said Danylle Kelly, Cooper’s Calling’s most recent riding instructor.
“We work off of the child and see how they react.,” Kelly said. “When we bring them up to the horses, we let them touch the horse. We let them smell the horse. And at that point, we see how comfortable they are around the horses, and we go from there.”
Understanding that horses are very large and potentially intimidating, an instructor might get down to the child’s level and touch just the horse’s leg.
“We go slow, and we let them know it is OK,” she said. “If they are not quite ready for the horses, we have chickens they can visit and a garden they can explore. But most of the children are bright-eyed and smiling and just can’t wait to get on the horse.”
Beginning riders are always accompanied by at least two instructors, one on either side of the horse, working to steady the child without being overly restrictive. Instead of a saddle, the rider sits on a surcingle, or strap, which is fitted with handles for the child to grasp. As the rider’s balance improves, activities such as throwing a ball are incorporated, as are simple commands to make the horse move forward or stop.
“Sometimes they cannot physically tell us if they’re ready to go to the next level,” Kelly said. “One way an instructor can tell is if they’re starting to get bored. Then we’ll move them to a saddle to keep them motivated.”
Oscar Rodriguez’s twelve-year-old son Max has only been with the program for three months. But Oscar is already seeing many positive changes in his son.
“He can get on the horse and do some small galloping,” he said, “but for me, the most important thing is how engaged he gets with the horse. I think it is fantastic because that kind of bonding and concentration is the most difficult part with kids in the Spectrum.”
According to Traci Eggleston, the confidence her twelve-year-old daughter Molly has gained on the horses has translated into many benefits in her day-to-day life in ways that are more than she expected.
“She has gotten more assertive,” she said. “Her boundaries have gotten better because of riding the horses and making them do what they’re supposed to do. And her balance is great because it is also good physical therapy, which she needs.”
Saying she is filled with a mix of overwhelming joy and total disbelief whenever she watches Molly put a horse through its paces, she is always surprised by how much her daughter gets from her time at Cooper’s Calling.
“I’ve learned that I have to keep raising the bar higher,” she said, “because I don’t think it has been raised high enough for her and the other special needs kids out here. It keeps going higher and higher, and to see them actually hit those goals has been absolutely amazing. I am very grateful.”
And Molly? She is glowing with pride over what she has accomplished on her horse.
“I am a much better rider now,” she said. “I can make the horse trot and go around curves. Being on my horse is one of my favorite things to do.”
Cooper’s Calling is holding its second annual chili cookoff fundraiser on Oct. 22, from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the old Tres Pinos Ranch Supply & Feed building at 6980 Airline Highway in Tres Pinos. Participants include CalFire, the Inn at Tres Pinos, the San Benito County CattleWomen, the San Benito Sheriff’s Department, and last year’s champions, the Hollister Fire Department.
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