Tristan Tyus pets Dallas after riding at the Montgomery Area Nontraditional Equestrians facility in east Montgomery on Monday. -- Mickey Welsh

More info:   TO HELP The Montgomery Area Nontraditional Equestrians is a nonprofit organization that relies on annual, memorial and in-kind gifts to support its programs and needs for the organization. Donors can give in memory of a loved one, donate equipment to support the program including tack, horses, and tractors or give directly to the annual campaign. Here are some items from the organization's wish list: Large trash bags Horse feed, shampoo and conditioner Bottled water Copy paper Wet wipes and paper towels You may also mail contributions to MANE, 3699 Wallahatchie Road, Pike Road, AL 36064. Call 334-213-0909 for more information. Photo Galleries Therapeutic Horseback Riding Related news from the Web Latest headlines by topic: • Health  • Medicine  • ADHD  Powered by Topix.net

Each week, Robert Esdale gets on a horse at the Montgomery Area Nontraditional Equestrians site in east Montgomery and rides through a special horse trail with the help of a counselor and two volunteers.

The therapeutic horseback riding trail helps people with emotional, physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities, but to this little 4-year-old, it's nothing but fun and games.

Robert has been diagnosed with mild autism. He has trouble communicating, interacting and listening to what people say. His mother, Leigh, said she and her husband found out about MANE through a friend and decided to see if the program would help their son improve his comprehension skills.

"It's been unbelievable," Leigh Esdale said. "He's only been here a few weeks and we have already noticed a difference. For him to come home and talk to us about the horses and tell us the sounds that they make is really big. And he has so much fun. He has no idea that he's learning something out there."

Starla Raiborn, an instructor with MANE, said she hears that a lot.

"It's all fun and games to them," she said. "They don't realize that it's therapeutic. It doesn't have that clinical feel."

With the help of a counselor and two volunteers, Robert participates in many different activities each time he rides -- from magnet darts and a bean bag toss to the water hole and ring toss. He also learns the basics of horseback riding.

Each activity on the sensory integration trail challenges the rider's ability to respond appropriately to sensory input by making a successful, organized response while mounted, said Bettie Borton, MANE's executive director.

"We try to increase the redundancy of motor and sensory activities for children who have special needs," Borton said. "This trail is the most elaborate one of its kind across the United States. People come from all over to see how it works."

MANE, a nonprofit organization, has been in existence since 1994. Each year, it serves approximately 300 people, of which about 80 percent are children, Borton said.

"We serve children with all sorts of disabilities," she said. "Some have a hearing or vision impairment, while others may have never been out of a wheelchair.

"When we have a child who has a severe disability, people wonder how riding a horse can help," she said. "The horse's walking gait mimics the human's walking gait almost exactly. It's as if the child is walking and using the same upper body muscles."

Borton said her organization also helps children with emotional problems.

Tristan Tyus, 6, just finished his first session at MANE.

"He has ADHD and is scared and timid of the unknown. He tends to clam up," said his mother, Melissa. "We have been looking to expose him to many different things as a way to build his confidence. He's only been at MANE for about a month, but I can really see a change in him. He's more confident and willing to try new things."

Both Tristan and Robert will be back at MANE this fall for another session.

Throughout the years, Borton has seen wonderful events take place at MANE.

"We've had children who have smiled or said their first words while they were here, or children with spina bifida who had not walked before taking their first step (here)," she said. "We've seen tremendous improvement in physical strength, even with some of our clients who are severely disabled."

MANE has an annual operating budget of about $165,000. With only a few paid staff members, the organization logs more than 5,000 volunteer hours each year.

"We recruit volunteers from all walks of life and age groups," Borton said. "Our volunteers go through an extensive training program and they are a very important part of our program."

Borton said lots of children come to MANE fearful of horses, but later become attached.

"And the horses also get very attached to the children," she said. "They are very sensitive to fear and are great teachers. Besides, it's hard to argue with a 1,200-pound horse."