Hate to tell you Romneybots - but this is what a therapy horse really does....

[jillan]

http://www.horseshelp.org/

Horses Help utilizes specially trained horses, well-qualified instructors that are certified by the Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship International, (PATH International), physical and occupational therapists, and community volunteers to form exceptional teams to work with the special abilities population. Riders range in age from three to seniors and represent a wide range of physical and mental disabilities. Participants enjoy weekly sessions to learn riding/driving skills, receive therapy, and enjoy the freedom of activities with THEIR horse. Leaving wheelchairs and walkers behind, these riders control their horse through obstacles and journey where they couldn't otherwise go by themselves.

[img][/img]

VS
[im][/img]

So tell me again, Ann, how having someone train your horse to dance is considered therapy? Yes, I'm certain Rafalka, or whatever his name is, has given you many smiles when you were not well.

[img][/img]

For those of you that have a family member with special needs or a senior citizen recovering from stroke or other illnesses, Horse Therapy is a wonderful & beneficial form of therapy.

[tk2kewl]

1. i worked with a therapeutic riding program as a teen

many of the riders wore a harness that we would hold onto to keep them on the horse as we ran along side. It was quite an experience for them and for me as well. Right on!

[justabob]

13. me too

Pretty amazing what the kids are able to do on the horses, and it made them so happy. (and adults, but the program I was with helped kids)

[tk2kewl]

17. yup... gives them a chance to be joyful and to succeed at something

a great confidence builder as well.

[onehandle]

2. Yep. My wife is on the board of one of those Actual horse therapy organizations.

I suppose to some people eating caviar and drinking Champagne is 'therapy.'

[jillan]

4. Yep - and to some people riding on a horse is the highlight of their life.

I just don't understand how having a dancing horse is a tax write-off for therapy.

I got our dog after my daughter recovered from a long hospital stay to cheer her up.
Do you think I could use my dog as a tax write off?

[onehandle]

5. Not unless your dog costs over a million bucks and performs ballet.

Pretty sure that's in the tax code.

[jillan]

7. She's an amazing swimmer - and fast too - will that count?

[progressivebydesign]

3. Frankly, the fact that her horse is a business, kind of cancels out their claims.

It's one thing if the horse was her personal pet, riding partner, but when you co-own a business that sells horses.. and take a 77k loss on the business, doesn't really qualify in my mind. I don't begrudge anyone a therapy or service animal... but a therapy business?

[SoCalDem]

24. The hobby horse is a PART TIME "pet" at best

Rafalca lives with Ebeling at HIS farm , in California.

When Ann is there on one of their many vacations, she "visits" the horse..


They live 160 miles apart..




The whole horsie thing is just one of their ways to launder / protect their precious money..

Wayback Machine link to "The Acres" from 2006
http://web.archive.org/web/20060323041709/http://www.theacres.com/facility.html


(many photos at the link)


The Acres is a Mediterranean style ranch surrounded by lemon groves bordering on 8500 acres of beautiful state parkland available for trail riding. The facility provides the dressage enthusiast with a wide range of programs personalized to meet equestrian needs. Jan and Amy Ebeling offer an owner operated facility conducive to a warm, relaxed training environment.

[Bluerthanblue]

6. yes- quite different than what Ms. Romney

is presenting.

Equine Therapy is real, and does help many people-

this is a great example:

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/231506/cure-for-the-seasons?SESSda910db9706c3e22188d43dd47fa136e=google&page=full

[jillan]

8. There are places like that all over the country. It means so much to so many.

[Bluerthanblue]

10. it does- both

to those who volunteer to make it happen, as well as the clients. This particular org. is incredibly good about making it possible for anyone in need, and serves broad variety of people. It's been frustrating to see how Ms. Romney has managed to portray this as something much different that it really is. imo.

[LynneSin]

9. I highly doubt that those kids are riding on $500k+ dressage horses

If anything those kids went to a camp where several kids are probably assigned to each horse. I think they are wonderful programs though and we should have more of those in our country.

But you can't compare what Mrs Romney has to what these kids and others like them experience. Mrs. Romney owns several half million dollar horses that btw, they use as a tax write-off. And most of these kids probably only get a few weeks out of a year to work with a horse whereas everyday she has a pick of almost a dozen different high priced horses for her therapy.

SO please do not compare everyday Horse Therapy to what she has. Not even in the same ballpark.

[jillan]

11. I agree - the only reason that I am comparing it is because Mitt said this was therapy & when he

said it, it made my skin crawl because I have a daughter with special needs who was treated to an
outing at HorsesHelp.

I understand they are not in anyway related, but to me his comments were personal.

[LynneSin]

12. Thank you for sharing!

[Igel]

20. His wife has multiple sclerosis.

Not so bad now. Diagnosed in 1998. Was apparently, if you read reports from back then, a lot worse and borderline crippling back then. She credits, among other things, her horse and riding to build up body strength.

[Tanuki]

25. I can see how horseback riding could be helpful physical and emtional therapy for her,

but I don't see how this would require an Olympic-caliber dressage horse. Paying someone else (Eberling) to ride it also seems to defeat that purpose. I suppose what some of us object to is the fact that the Romneys are using Ann's MS to immunize themselves from any criticism that they are being extravagant in a time of financial crisis, or questioning whether it is appropriate for the wannabe First Citizen of a republic to take a $77K per annum tax shelter for said critter at a time when social programs are being cut drastically for want of revenue.

[Raster]

30. Ka-ching!

"...but I don't see how this would require an Olympic-caliber dressage horse. Paying someone else (Eberling) to ride it also seems to defeat that purpose."

[jerseyjack]

14. Yeah, but Ann's horse has a cute hat.

[RoccoRyg]

15. Romneybots?

I don't know about that. I don't think any Republican is emotionally-invested in Romney enough to be considered a "bot." Dubya could manage a connection with his crowd, especially evangelicals, but Romney... no. He doesn't have the emotional connection or the hypnotic ability of better politicians.

The gops are just going along with him because they despise the alternative.

[Blue_Roses]

16. My nephew's mother-in-law

just had a severe stroke last Friday, with her left side now being paralyzed. I'm interested in more info on how stroke victims benefit. This sounds great and I know my nephew and his wife would appreciate any new options for therapy.

Thanks for this!

[Tanuki]

27. This might help:

http://www.strokenetwork.org/newsletter/therapies/horsether.htm

[DCKit]

18. It's writing five and six figure checks that Ann finds to be rehabilitating.

The horse is a side-effect.

[Kalidurga]

28. Best explanation ever...

It's just another example of the Romney's dancing around an issue. The horse is a business expense no it's therapy. The story changes depending on who they are talking to. If they are talking to the IRS then it's business. If they are trying to get people to stop being critical the horse is therapy for MS. I don't know why it couldn't be a story of how Ann got into the horse business and found it was also good therapy. Then they don't have to dance and look like the eejits they are.

[Initech]

19. A good friend of mine runs a similar charity.

[Igel]

21. The "wide range" must be from severe to immobilizing.

Or exclude multiple sclerosis. But that's not so bad if you have champagne and caviar, I guess.

[handmade34]

22. very nice

sincere thanks for sharing... animals can and do provide much therapy to many people...

found this note in a local paper(rants and raves section):

"Think Mitt Romney's horse likes Dressage? Neigh!"

[Spitfire of ATJ]

23. I owned and ran a horse ranch..

My personal favorite was named "Tiki" and that girl LOVED to go for a run on the windy dirt roads in the hills and riding her was like being on a dirt bike. You had to bank into the turns. She was gymkhana trained when I got her.

[img][/img]

Most "therapy horses" are very docile and are about as fun to ride for someone like me as a sack of potatoes.

[Fire Walk With Me]

26. Therapy horses are good. Ann's horse just looks sad...

[Turbineguy]

29. In the Romney situation

it's mostly Tax Therapy.