Some of you will know my son has autism, and as part of his schooling he was introduced to horses for children with special needs. There is something about an animal and it’s connection to humans. You’ve probably heard that stroking a dog lowers blood pressure, well the same can be said for the absolute trust that a horse and rider will have.

Matt loved the horses, in particular the caring for them (and yes, that included mucking out the stalls!).

I remember watching a UK show called Blue Peter way (way) back. They raised money each year for charity and one year (or more) they raised money for the RDA (Riding for the disabled). Caring for an animal can sometimes be a much easier connection to have than to have to talk to adults and other children. I never knew that one day my own son would benefit from working with horses in a therapy situation.

In Kyle, there is a particular character, Jason, who refuses to even touch a horse, let alone ride one. But slowly, he comes to learn that sometimes just burying your face in a horse’s mane, or caring for an animal, is enough to find some level of peace.

Read more of Jason’s story in ‘Kyle’ which is out now at Amazon and all other third parties.