Not Just Horsing Around

After mounting her favorite horse, Tuf, Melissa “Missy” Chanay smiles and pets Tuf’s long mane. Missy, who receives services in Gardner, Kan., has been riding horses for the past ten years. These days, Missy rides Tuf weekly at Heartland Therapeutic Riding, Inc. in Stilwell, Kan. “It isn’t easy, it’s hard. It’s fun though, I like riding,” says Missy.

For Missy, who has Prader-Willi Syndrome, which leads to compulsive eating and an obsession with food, riding isn’t just fun, it’s also a great workout. It has paid off; recently Missy and her housemate, Joy Courtwright, have begun a program that encourages healthy eating choices. Missy has lost over 30 pounds since the beginning of the eating plan. To those with Prader-Willi Syndrome, exercise is just as important as eating right; and horseback riding not only improves balance and coordination, it strengthens all the muscles in the body.

After a long day of work and a relaxing forty-minute ride to Heartland, Missy hurries to the dressing room and dons her riding helmet and gloves. Then it’s off to the arena where Missy puts a saddle and bridle on Tuf. Once all the participants are ready, they mount the horses and the fun begins. During the lesson, the participants ride the horses as they walk and trot through the arena. Riders control the horses using reins, their own body movements, and different sounds and commands. “I tell the horse to trot when I want. When it needs to stop you say, ‘whoa, horsey,’” she explains.

Missy has made many friends at Heartland, and not just those of the equine variety. She has befriended many of her fellow riders, the instructors, and the volunteers. She takes a great deal of pride in her riding and her weight loss, which go hand in hand. Her riding has even inspired another member of her home to consider taking a trip to Heartland. Missy has one goal in relation to her riding, “someday I would just love to own my own horse.”