Breanna’s story

From the stables to the saddle: Breanna’s story

Law student Breanna was six years old when she fell in love with horse riding. Ever since then, it’s been a huge part of her life.

“We went to an open day where we could see people with different abilities riding horses,” says Breanna.

“I just thought it was the coolest thing ever and knew I had to give it a go!”

At first, Breanna rode as part of a physical therapy treatment called hippotherapy.

Described as “physiotherapy on horseback”, this activity helped her build up core strength and balance outside of her wheelchair.

“The movement of the horse mimics the movement of walking in your hips,” she explains.

Riding has now become one of Breanna’s biggest passions in life. For her, it’s not just about the therapy; it's a source of joy, exercise, and mental well-being.

“It feels amazing when I’m on top of the horse, like I’m on top of the world,” she says.

With limited movement from her neck down, Breanna has several adaptations to help her ride including a modified saddle and waist belt. She also uses the assistance of her support workers.

But the most important adjustment has been getting her own horse, Orion. With special training, Orion has learnt to move in a way that suits Breanna’s needs.

"He’s very cheeky and full of personality, and he loves interacting with people," she says.

Right now, Breanna’s main goal is to ride independently. Eventually, she’d like to try entering competitions and aim for the Paralympics.

One of her biggest challenges has been finding disability support specific to spinal cord injuries.

The Disability Gateway website has become a valuable resource for finding services in her local area.

“I was excited to see that it was a one stop shop for everything and it was really easy to navigate,” she says.

For Breanna, having the power to choose supports that suit her needs is crucial. The Disability Gateway gives her that freedom, making sure she can pursue her goals.

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Audio Visual

Audio

Visual

[Background music playing: guitar strumming]

A woman in an electric wheelchair smiles. She is in a horse training arena with bushland in the background.

Hi, I'm Breanna, and I live on the Sunshine Coast.

Breanna is sitting inside a house talking to the camera. She is wearing a blue shirt and horse-riding tights.

We went to an open day and could see people with different abilities riding horses.

Breanna is outside in an electric wheelchair with a horse next to her. A female trainer puts gloves and a helmet on Breanna.

I thought it was just the coolest thing ever.

The trainer puts a saddle on the horse.

It feels amazing when I’m up on the horse, like I'm on top of the world. I love that they see everyone the same as well.

Breanna puts her feet in the stirrups with help from the trainer. Breanna is riding the horse. The trainer leads the horse away from the stables with a rope.

Just the difference that I feel when I come out to spend some time with the horse is amazing.

Breanna is riding a horse in an outdoor arena. The horse is walking and led by the trainer with a rope. A woman and a man walk on each side of the horse next to Breanna.

When I saw the Disability Gateway website, I was really excited to see that it was like a one stop shop, it was really easy to navigate. I know in future it'll be the first place that I go to.

Breanna is sitting at a dining table typing on a laptop. She scrolls through the Disability Gateway website.

Hippotherapy is physiotherapy on horseback. For me it's helped keep my muscles active and also just mental health.

Breanna is riding a horse in an outdoor arena. The horse is walking and led by the trainer with a rope. We see a close up of Breanna’s waist belt and a sponge that her arms are resting on.

So Orion is my horse. We just knew that he was the right horse. Absolutely fell in love with him. And he was just like full of personality. He's very cheeky.

Breanna is outside in an electric wheelchair. A woman is next to her feeding carrots to Orion. The horse nuzzles Breanna on the head, and she laughs.

Horses especially are known for picking up on emotions. I feel like when I'm upset or anything, Orion is extra cute.

Breanna is close to Orion in her electric wheelchair. She touches his nose with her hand and smiles.

I don’t know, they just make you smile.

A closing slide appears with the Disability Gateway logo, the Australian Government logo and the website URL: www.disabilitygateway.gov.au