At the True Friends Dudley Equine Center at Camp Courage, the excitement is palpable. For Isabelle Salzbrun, it is the best day of the week.
“Isabelle’s favorite thing to do is to come to camp and go horseback riding,” said her dad, Jeremy Salzbrun.
Isabelle has been coming to True Friends for more than 13 years and was one of the very first riders. It’s something you might not expect from a 17-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. “We were told a lot of things from doctors what she can and will not be able to do,” Jeremy said. “The best part about the horseback riding is it’s proven them wrong.”
That is the benefit of this type of therapy, Shari Mangas, director of the therapy and adaptive riding program, shares. Clients do the hard work of therapy, but with the horses, it feels more like fun. It is apparent Isabelle enjoys every second. “She has no fear,” Isabelle’s mom, Emily, said. “She will jump on any horse you give her. Her favorite thing is when the horse sneezes or shakes. She just gets the giggles where most kids would be afraid of it.”
The result of Isabelle’s courage is incredible progress. After working with the True Friends team and the horses, she can now sit unaccompanied for up to 45 minutes. Today, Isabelle rides independently for her entire session. But her time at True Friends has also made differences in her life beyond the physical improvements.
“She is a social butterfly and absolutely loves people and being able to interact with all the other riders,” Jeremy added. Isabelle has been friends with Maryn, another rider, for the past six years. During their sessions together, there’s a lot of laughter and some friendly competition. Isabelle’s brother also gets involved. It’s truly a family affair. “She has friends here and people that she loves,” Jeremy said. “Getting to see Shari every week … it’s absolutely everything to Isabelle.”
Jeremy volunteered at Camp Friendship and Camp Courage as a child. “You know all the time that we gave back, and my parents gave back, and then for Isabelle to receive these services is one of the coolest, most humbling things ever.”
The Salzbruns encourage parents of children with disabilities to try therapy and adaptive riding to see if it’s right for their child. They also want to thank the donors that make the program possible. “It means the world to us,” Jeremy said. “There’s a lot of children like Isabelle that have special needs and can get so much out of this program.”
Thank you to the Salzbrun family for sharing their story and thank YOU for being part of the True Friends mission and helping children like Isabelle do things they never thought possible.
