Horse Stable in Taiwan Offers Equine Therapy for Children With Disabilities

A horse stable in northern Taiwan is providing mental and physical rehabilitation classes for children with disabilities.

Transcript

00:00 sitting atop a pony with fine equestrian posture, meet Ah-Chung.

00:05 He's been riding horses for four years now,

00:08 but it was a tricky start for the 11-year-old.

00:10 I started riding when I was 108 years old.

00:12 When he first came, he had to push a baby carriage.

00:16 He was very shaky when he walked.

00:18 His best ability was to move around and to get in contact with people.

00:22 Ah-Chung was diagnosed with Menk's syndrome in infancy.

00:27 The condition stunts physical development

00:29 and causes deterioration of the nervous system.

00:33 But it didn't stop him from learning to ride.

00:36 Ah-Chung is just one of many children with disabilities

00:39 seeking therapy and rehabilitation

00:41 from the Therapeutic Riding Centre of Taiwan

00:44 in Taoyuan in the north of the country.

00:47 The centre holds over 70 classes each month

00:50 for children with conditions ranging from autism

00:53 to ADHD and cerebral palsy.

00:56 But running the riding school is no easy feat.

00:59 Running the riding school is a challenge

01:03 because it's a high-capacity, high-cost activity.

01:06 But the changes in their lives and their mental health

01:11 are very, very important.

01:14 The centre relies heavily on donations to keep running.

01:18 And with low salaries and rigorous training,

01:20 staffing the school has been difficult.

01:23 For students like Ah-Chung,

01:25 equestrian classes have been an invaluable part

01:27 of their physical and emotional therapy,

01:30 a journey that could be jeopardised

01:32 without more funding to keep it going.

01:35 Kama Shu and resales for Taiwan Plus.

01:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]