Horse Boy Foundation

Activities 2011

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Local Families at New Trails Center: In 2011 we started giving free weekly sessions to 13 more local families at
New Trails in Texas all free of charge.

 

We serve not just the children on the spectrum but also their neuro-typical siblings.

 

Making sure that Autism opens the door to adventure and connection for the whole family.

 

We don't believe that Autism is a problem to be fixed. We think it is a skill set. A beautiful, viable way of being.

 

Perspective Taking, Rule Based Games and Social Skills: we developed a new set of methods to address thes
deficits at New Trails and have begun teaching them to equine professionals working with autistic kids across
North America and Europe.

 

We have also moved into other neuro-psychiatric conditions such as grief and bereavement.

 

We began running 3 night Horse Boy Camps on a donation only basis for local Central Texas Families.

 

Perhaps our biggest achievement in 2011 has been our Horse Boy Community Outreach Program (Horse Boy
COPS) - we take horses into the city, where the kids are and work with them in their familiar environments.

 

We even work at Supermarkets such as here at Central Market North in Austin. The legendary Linda Tellington-
Jones showed up and helped us though an evil Godzilla (Rowan's idea) ate her head.

 

Working on the campus at the University of Texas with The Autism Project at UT we served 24 urban families.

 

There is something magical about bringing horses into a child's existing environment. It kick-starts
communication.

 

We also raised awareness at local horse shows and even downtown Austin.

 

From poker tournaments, to rodeos, to Charreadas, jousts, Little League Baseball games and TV shows, we
bring the message that Autism is an adventure and something to embrace.

 

We were also a part of the relief effort to rescue livestock during the catastrophic Bastrop County wildfires:
FEMA declared our region a federal disaster area because of the drought and fires.

 

On a more fun note we gave Horse Boy Method demos at the Abilities Expos in Houston and San Jose.

 

We trained a number of working students at New Trails including one student on the Autism Spectrum to go out
and work with Autism and horses in North America and Europe.

 

We traveled all over the USA and UK giving demos and workshops for NARHA, Autism One, horse associations,
Autism Societies and even staged a screening at the UN.

 

We gave a number of free workshops and trainings in North America and Europe including for RDA (Riding for the
Disabled) the national body in the UK.

 

We gave a special training to the Forum School in England which works with particularly challenging children on
the spectrum.

 

We gave free therapy breaks at New Trails for families from the UK and France.

 

Proving that Autism can open doors rather than close them.

 

We hired our first Autism Consultant on the spectrum - Cisco Buitron - who now helps us educate Autism
families on what it's like to live as an Autist in the neuro-typical world.

 

And as the year closed we began a new initiative - offering free training of horses to work with Autism from other
riding centers. We thank you for your support in 2011 and look forward to the new adventures to come!