By Parr Burton, PRC-Saltillo Blogger
Anyone that knows me, knows that I love animals. Animals help us and we help them. An example is Tux a horse. I helped him and he helped me.
I met Tux at the barn where I rode for therapy. I rode for years and years and he was my horse the whole time. He was a big, white, beautiful therapy horse. I rode him for physical and occupational therapy and just for fun in horse shows. He helped me with my trunk strength, my flexibility, and my confidence. I would have to ride with my hands on my head. I would steer him right and left around barrels. He was patient and calm all the time. I got stronger from riding him. He helped me in all those ways.
I helped him too. Before he was a therapy horse, Tux was owned by a cowboy who treated him really badly. The cowboy wanted Tux to do all this work and he would beat Tux to get the work done. My friend Karel, a therapist, got Tux from the cowboy. When she first got him, he was scared of people. He didn't like to be touched in the face. But after riding him for years, he loved for me to love and kiss on him. Every time after my therapy session, I would hug him and then kiss his face. So, I helped him trust people again.
All kinds of animals and people help each other. It's good for people to have animals as for friends. We all get a lot out of it from the little kitty to the big therapy horse.
Life with Parr