Have a heart - snapshots

Better Nutrition, Dec, 2002 by Barbara Hey

Martha Wittman, store manager of Nutra Foods of Huber Heights, located just outside Dayton, Ohio, believes that life is about balance. At 35, she spends six days a week overseeing the store, which is owned by her aunt and uncle. But her activity doesn't cease at closing time. After hours, she lends her talents to other venues--for one, at her local church as adviser to the Parish Council, and for another, to children with disabilities at the Therapeutic Riding Institute (TRI) in Spring Valley, Ohio.

Wittman has always been passionate in equal parts about children and horses, and TRI, run entirely by volunteers, is a way to be involved with both.

"I used to have a horse, but I had to sell her. Then I saw an ad in the paper about TRI and joined them. I enjoyed it immediately, and I really welcomed the opportunity to stay connected with horses," says Wittman.

And with the children. "The children just love it. It is such a joy to see," she says.

Horseback riding helps handicapped children and adults in myriad ways. According to Betty Lou Townley, one of the founders of TRI, riding provides mental, physical and psychological benefits. Chief among them, it gives children who face innumerable challenges in life a chance to succeed at something, to feel a sense of accomplishment.

"When the instructor gives a direction and the children convey that to the horse and the horse responds--which happens 99 percent of the time--that positive response in itself is so significant," says Townley. Horseback riding has tremendous effects, among them improving hand-eye coordination, fine and gross motor skills, communication skills and peer relationships.

That's where Wittman comes in. She functions as a "side walker"--someone who walks beside the horse, helping both to lead the animal and reassure the child in the saddle.

The walking motion of the horse mimics that of the human body. Many of these children have difficulty walking, and riding exercises muscles in their backs and buttocks and aids in the development of motor skills.

"We have a book full of stories about how TRI has helped the nearly 4,000 children who have participated during its 30 years of existence," says Townley.

Some children who are nonverbal upon starting the program leave it speaking.

"It's amazing to watch what happens," says Wittman. "I've really seen it help the children improve their ability to focus, which in turn translates to better performance in school." Aside from confidence building, the exercise aspect works another kind of magic. "The different stimulus of riding a horse also seems to help them relax," she says.

In her three years of participation during fall and spring sessions, Wittman has developed some wonderful relationships with the children she has guided. "I've led some of these kids every week, and if I miss one class they'll ask where I've been. One boy even noticed when I got my hair cut even though my friends did not," she says.

In addition, Wittman has taken on the extra responsibility of grooming, tacking and untacking the horses, another satisfying aspect of her volunteer work.

In her unscheduled time, when she's not at TRI or tending to her customers, Wittman unwinds at home with her 10-year-old mutt, T.J., a shepherd-collie mix. But she doesn't bring T.J. with her to the store.

"Not everyone loves dogs," she says, though Wittman, lover of all creatures, does--even those with challenges. For T.J., the challenge is one of excess fur. "She sheds."