CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Troubled children are riding
their way to higher self-esteem and reduced anxiety in a horse therapy
program run by a local woman. Sissy Nelson's Horse Play program is open to
all children after school. Nelson is a champion rider and showman who
believes horses bring out the best in everyone. She speaks from experience,
having survived an abusive childhood.
"I survived a lot of trauma, and (horses)
loved me through it and I learned a lot about myself," she said.
Nelson said working with horses teaches children
lessons much deeper than trotting or cantering. She has used her program to
help special-needs children, orphans and bullies.
"They learn to conquer their fears; they learn
to become self-confident," she said. "They learn patience and
accountability, responsibility. It's not just about the horse, it's a lot
about them."
Recent research from Arizona State University backs
up Nelson's beliefs.
During an eight-week study, researchers found
children with attention-deficit disorder showed significant progress in
reaction time, higher self-esteem and reduced anxiety after working with
horses. Children with no learning challenges also reported an increase in
self-esteem and school performance, the researchers found.
One 6-year-old girl has been participating in Horse
Play for three years. Her mother enrolled her to boost her self-confidence
and get her to smile in public.
"She's more perceptive at reading other
people's feelings because she's become more in tune with horse," said
the girl's mother, who didn't want her name used.
The woman also credits Nelson and her program for
teaching her daughter responsibility and problem-solving skills.
"She is a calming force," the woman said
of Nelson. "She helps each child think through decisions -- what the
problem is and how to solve it."
Nelson said all credit belongs to her four-legged
therapists.
"I just expose them to what I do and let the
horses heal," she said.