Annual horse show therapeutic for riders at Mississippi Valley

For most of the equestrian world Saturday, the focus was on the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby, where thoroughbreds and their jockeys raced around the Churchill Downs track in the annual “run for the roses.”

But a few hundred miles west of Louisville, Kentucky, just north of Oak Ridge, another group of riders and their horses were in the spotlight earlier in the day.

The 11th annual Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship Horse Show, always held on the first Saturday in May, gave riders an opportunity to show off their riding skills for their friends and families. Judging by their smiles, each rider was as happy as the jockey who won the Derby.

Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship is a not-for-profit organization providing horse-riding therapy to children and adults living with disabilities, helping them improve their strength, coordination and flexibility while working on communication skills and developing bonds with horses.

Varina Luttrull, Mississippi Valley’s program director and herd coordinator, said the program is serving several dozen youth and adults from approximately nine Southeast Missouri counties as well as Southern Illinois, each of them dealing with emotional, behavioral, physical and/or cognitive challenges.

Becki Nation is helped onto a horse, CJ, during the Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship's 11th annual Horse Show on Saturday near Oak Ridge.Jay Wolz

One of them is 27-year-old Becki Nation from Jackson. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was just a year old, Becki has benefited from horse-riding therapy at Mississippi Valley for the past 18 years and was the program’s second participant back in 2001. Her mother, Margie Nation, credits the program with helping her daughter strengthen her right hand, improve her balance and build friendships.

“Becki’s right hand is very stiff, but she has to use it when she holds the reigns to turn her horse,” Margie Nation said. “This has really encouraged her to use her right hand and it has also given her more leg strength and helped her balance.”

Over the years, Becki has also bonded with a horse, CJ, a 17-year-old Appaloosa, one of 12 horses in the Mississippi Valley stables. Becki and CJ have been a riding team for the past six years.

“She pets him at the end of each session,” Becki’s mother said, “and he’ll close his eyes and lay his head over her shoulder.”

In addition to bonding with CJ, Becki credits the program with helping her build friendships with others.

“It makes me socialize more,” she said.

In keeping with the horse show’s Kentucky Derby theme, all riders and horses had photos taken in a “winner’s circle” complete with flower blankets draped over each horse’s mane.

More information about Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship is available online at ridemvth.org.

jwolz@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630