UC Davis Student Using Horses To Help Children With Special Needs
DAVIS (CBS13) — A UC Davis student is on a mission to change the lives of children with special needs by using horses.
Haneef Akbari, 15, can barely contain his excitement. It's time for another horse-riding lesson with Katherine Griffin.
"Every student's different and Haneef's just progressing greatly," she said.
Students come to her new business, Answered Prayers for more than just riding lessons. Instructors say therapeutic riding helps people with disabilities reach new physical, cognitive and emotional goals.
Haneef, who has Down Syndrome, is working on his social skills. His mom, Mozhdeh, says the lessons are paying off.
"When we go home or other places, haneef is trying to, whatever he's learning here, to incorporate, generalize it in the real society," she said.
Griffin is working toward an animal science degree at UC Davis and juggling two other jobs. But she says this has been her passion since high school, when she volunteered for horses, healing and hope.
"I didn't have such a great group of friends," she said. I was kind of in a rough spot. I saw, like I had first-hand experience of what therapeutic riding does."
Students with all disabilities come to Griffin, each one with different goals, but the big idea is the same.
"I just want to get them on a horse," she said. And I want to change their life. I want to do something that's going to help them out."
It's clear others believe the same thing. Griffin has a team of sorority sisters who volunteer time for each riding lesson.
"I'm so happy to have people around that they have still they have strong belief in the high potential of the kids with special needs," Mozhdeh said.