Texas nonprofit uses horse therapy for special needs riders

RICHMOND, Texas (AP) — Lauren Hall sits atop a brown and white speckled horse, Santana.

The Houston Chronicle reports the young woman's back is straight and her grin is wide. Her cheetah print boots, lined with pink, are flopped on either side of the horse's saddle.

"It's Lauren's favorite day of the week," said her mother, Helen Hall.

Hall is a much different rider than when she first got on the saddle four years ago. The 28-year-old was born with a rare genetic condition that affects almost every aspect of her daily life, and she can get anxious at times.

After four years of horseback riding at the SIRE Therapeutic Horsemanship's Richmond facility, though, Hall has become a confident and cheerful rider.