QUINCY -- Ten-year-old Carly Fahey flashed an occasional smile as she worked her horse in the stadium at Rock 'N Win farm, finally stopping after more than 20 minutes of going in circles.
Special care was taken as Carly, who has cerebral palsy, dismounted her horse. She strolled down a ramp using a walker with wheels.
"Bonding with this (horse) is wonderful for any person," she said. "My parents have always told me not to listen to what people say ... Working with horses helps me a lot."
Carly is one of several area youngsters who ride horses to condition their minds and bodies and help them cope with their disabilities. They also care for the horses in the Rock 'N' Win Equitherapy program, with guidance from trained supervisors. The day's exercise for Carly was similar for several other children with various disabilities. Using horses as a form of therapy is a twice-a-week routine that helps them believe they can be active and take on new challenges. Some are Special Olympians who won medals at the state games a couple of months ago.
"It seems well received as opposed to traditional therapy," said Lisa Revell, a former competitive equestrian trained in occupational therapy. "Most kids don't like going to traditional therapy. It hurts -- the stretching, the building the muscles. You can put fun and games into it, but it still hurts ... We are developing skills and muscle groups they don't even realize they are using. They are just having a blast."
Rock 'N Win is the brainchild of Sandy Williams, who briefly ran a similar program while caring for her father in Texas. Three years ago, she started the program in Quincy, using some of her 22-acre farm to build a barn and training facilities. Since then, Rock 'N Win has been sanctioned by the North American Handicap Riding Association.
Williams' commitment is priceless, say the parents of children who ride in her program.
"This isn't 8 to 5 for her. It is a lifestyle she has adopted," said Lori Fahey, Carly's mother. "Who do you know who would do something like this. I couldn't do it. I wish everybody would come out and see the participants and the freedom and the joy they have when they ride."
Williams depends on volunteer workers, like Revell and John VanTassel, who does maintenance work at the farm. Some days he puts in as many as 12 hours.
"What (Williams) is doing is very good for the children, and that is why I keep coming back," VanTassel said. "It takes a lot of work on everybody's part. Some of the kids take three or four people to walk them on a horse. I'm so proud of these kids because they have improved so much."
Building confidence and self esteem as the children build coordination and muscle tone is Rock 'N Win's objective. There have been dramatic changes in some kids.
"Everything is in their mental capacity, and that is where it starts," said Williams. "That is what we have been able to build on. We have some kids out here who are so shy and so withdrawn because they see their disability the same way that everybody else makes them see it. They feel they are destined to be that way, but when they come out here, it's an awesome transformation for them. They are on an animal, and they are 10 feet up, and they are as big as anybody else."
Shantou Williams, 12, who has been with the program since it started, has shown encouraging signs after each session. She has a muscle disease that sometimes causes her to lose her balance. But it has improved since she started riding, according to her mother, Sheila Williams.
"It gives Shantou the mentality that she can't do everything she sees normal kids do, but she has the ability to do things," said Sheila Williams. "She goes bowling and swimming, and this gives her the opportunity to do things she sees other kids do."
As many as 30 children and adults have taken advantage of the free therapy, and some have shown improvements in their conditions.
Even small improvements are meaningful.
Said Williams, "You can increase their mobility and their nerve impulses to where their bodies can function at a higher level, but they will always have noticeable disabilities."
