His Horse His Trainer The Day Andre Arrived In

his horse his trainer the day andre arrived in the united states from russia he was dehydrated and jaundiced. we quickly took him to the ho

His Horse His Trainer
The day Andre arrived in the United States from Russia he was
dehydrated and jaundiced. We quickly took him to the hospital, where
he stayed for three days. Although he was a strong eight-month-old
baby boy, his beginnings in the world had been difficult. Born in
Siberian poverty and given up for adoption, he had not known the
nurturing caress of a mother’s arms and bosom. He had had rages in the
orphanage. There he had been given Phenobarbital to quiet him.
He also had loud angry rages often in his new home. Since Andre was
muscularly developed beyond his years, it was challenging to provide
enough physical activity to satisfy his appetite for loud, rough
running and jumping. His sensory-integration,
reactive-attachment-disorder and auditory-processing issues made
communication difficult.
Andre was introduced to horses soon after arriving. Yet he did not
ride until he was five years old. When Andre did ride; the steady
movement of the horse, the need for Andre to balance himself and the
warm and quiet nature of the horse seemed to calm and soothe him. We
started Andre in the programs at Centaur Rising. He rode several times
a week using one of our horses.
Andre had difficulty following instructions. So an instructor worked
one-on-one with him. A youth instructor, under the guidance of the
master trainer, walked alongside the horse. The instructor showed
Andre how to hold his reins, to sit balanced, to use his legs
appropriately and to hold his body upright. All instruction was
performed in a very quiet way so as to not alarm the horse. Andre
learned that he must use gentle consistent movements for the horse to
understand.
Andre spent the summer at Centaur Rising assisting other children as
he had been assisted. He learned to speak quietly and to move
purposefully with the horse and rider. To everyone’s surprise, Andre
started using his quiet communication when he wasn’t working with
horses! Andre still yelled, jumped, screamed and ran; but he was
learning to control these tendencies.
Last summer Andre showed in his first horse show. He received two
first places on a horse that Centaur Rising had taught him to train.
He was so proud of himself. So were all the people that had supported
him over the years. Three of his friends from Centaur Rising came to
watch and help. They cheered him on and helped him to feel proud of
what he had accomplished.
Andre still has problems. Yet he is learning to communicate with his
family in a way that had been previously impossible. He has new
self-esteem and confidence. Recently, when his horse stepped on a
nail, Andre was very concerned for the horse’s welfare. He talked
quietly to the horse. He soothed him with loving rubs and hugs.
Horses have worked miracles in Andre’s life. They have given him
confidence and taught him how to communicate more effectively. They
have given him a newfound compassion to use everyday everywhere.
Kristann Cooper, with an MS in counseling psychology, is Executive
Director of Centaur Rising. Suzanne Stevenson is the President of its
Board of Directors. The 501©(3) nonprofit organization works to
restore Man’s connection with Nature. The welfare of all horses is our
primary mission, as is the promise of personal growth for humans. This
is accomplished through the teaching of classical horsemanship. Please
visit our website at www.CentaurRising.org. Reach us at
[email protected] or 303-838-5086. Your financial support is very
much needed for our work to continue. Thank you!