Friday, November 26 2010 WEEKENDERPEOPLE 11

weekenderpeople

Mum launches foundation for her horse boy

OMETHING dierent is happening at a stables near Chard where internationally renowned author Rupert Isaacson paid a visit this week. Mother of three, Lilias Ahmeira, moved her family to Scrapton Farm, Wadeford just eightweeks ago after a meeting with Mr Isaacson turned her life on its head. She watched his film The Horse Boy, about his journey through Mongolia with his autistic son who had developed a special connection with horses. The therapy of being with the animals caused him to regain his speech and re-connect to the world in a way that the medical profession thought would never happen. The discovery of this phenomena led to the setting up of The Horse Boy Foundation, which works with children not only in the autistic spectrum but those who have other emotional issues. Lilias Ahmeira had spent the last ten years gaining an international reputation at the cutting edge end of complementary therapy and energy medicine, with a respected practice and patients referred by Harley Street. She had been searching for solutions to the environmental reasons for the autism in her own son, the middle of her three boys, and is now a spokesperson at international conferences on autism. Seeing The Horse Boy, and the trauma that Rowan Isaacson had gone through, and the calming influence the horse had on him, struck

By Marion Draper
a very emotional chord with her. Encouraged by partner Adam, she approached Rowans father Rupert and told him she wanted to use her knowledge and follow his lead. Having previously been a dressage and three day eventing champion for 20 years, she was in a unique position of having clinical knowledge, horse experience and being the parent of an autistic child to enable her follow The Horse Boy Foundation methodology. With hardly a backward glance she took the plunge and moved from Aberdeen to Wadeford to set up Special Horses for Special Children. Her aim is to create a charity which enables families to come to her farm, stay in yurts and work with the horses so they can have a complete experience. She has been told she needs 6,000 to be registered as a charity, money she cannot spare at this stage as she digs into her own savings to set up the foundation. Having been told by a doctor that her son would never achieve, Lilias said it was the best thing anyone could have said because it made her get the bit between her teeth and prove them wrong . She was adamant that all children were special and no boundaries should be put on any child. She wants her charity to not just to help autistic children but any child that has emotional issues, whether it be anger due to family break up, problems at school, bereavement or trauma . This is dierent work to Riding for the Disabled, aimed at those who are able bodied and oering more of a challenge. However, she has been oered full support from the director of Riding for the Disabled. The last eight weeks have been a whirlwind, gathering six horses and all the equipment, including imported American saddles in synthetic material light enough for the ponies. Not having been on a horse herself for 20 years, Lilias has also had to put her body through its paces with a crash course from expert Janine Pendlebury to get her back up to speed. She wants to do dressage and circus tricks with the children. When Rupert Isaacson said he would come for two days to endorse her venture, Lilias said she was honoured. Holding a workshop for her and a small group of other interested trainers from across the country, including Emma Shearing, originally from Merriott, Mr Isaacson stressed the importance of being led by the needs of the child and demonstrated how lying on a bare backed horse, both forwards and backwards, smelling it and relaxing on it without the animal walking, was immensely calming. He explained how this sensory experience with the pony allowed physical contact with a child that may not have allowed touch before, leading to the parent being able to perform

I THE HORSE BOY METHOD: Rupert Isaacson demonstrates sensory work with Lilias Ahmeira and her youngest son George Curtin soothing and gentle massage to their back and legs. The whole experience was aimed to de-stress the family unit. He said 82 per cent of marriages with an autistic child, dissolve. Most of the experienced riders assembled admitted that they had never spent such quiet, intimate time with their mounts and as each tried the method in turn, they realised its benefit. This was an essential part of the training which will be used at Special Horses for Special Children. Lilias is anxious to get her unique charity up and running as soon as possible and said she hoped to open ocially in January. Meanwhile she would love to go and talk to local groups about her work and her life as a parent of a special child. Anyone wishing to contact her can go to www.specialhorsesforspecialchildren.com or call (01460) 66990.

I EASY DOES IT: Rupert Isaacson demonstrates how to lie safely on a pony