Disclaimer: This article provides general information about ADHD and is not a substitute for medical advice. For diagnosis, treatment or medical concerns, consult a qualified health care provider. Always seek professional guidance before making any healthcare decisions.
For brothers Julian and Cameron Harrison, riding is their life. They own three horses between them, will happily spend five hours a day at the barn, and both want to become equine veterinarians when they are older. However, four years ago when the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, neither Julian, now 15, nor Cameron, now 13, had ever ridden a horse, and both were struggling with ADHD.
Having decided to take them off their Ritalin medication, their moms, Kimberly Harrison and Doris Luna, were determined to find an activity to keep the boys occupied when the schools closed during the pandemic. The family lives across from the Rancho Equestrian District in Burbank, California, and were used to seeing horses pass by their house, so Kimberly suggested giving riding a try.
“I knew nothing about horses,” Kimberly said. “But I thought they could at least get out and get some fresh or be on a horse and do a trail or something to burn the energy.” A month later when she went to watch the boys ride at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, she expected everyone to be wearing jeans and cowboy hats – and was shocked to see them in breeches and tall boots. “I didn't realize that there was something called English riding until I went out there.”
Even though horses were a whole new world for them, the boys were instantly hooked. “I couldn’t wait to go back after our first lesson, I was like ‘Oh, this is really fun,’” Cameron said. Meanwhile, Julian “felt nervous at first because it’s a large animal but I got calmer the more lessons I had.”
“It’s not just about the horse and having lessons, it’s about the time you’re spending with your partner (horse), Julian said. “You and the horse have a job to do. Your job is to get the horse over the jumps and have a good connection with them,” Julian said.
The brothers started doing flat work and then began jumping a year later. “The first time I jumped, it was like this adrenaline feeling and I really liked it,” Cameron said. “Everything kicked in and I thought ‘Wow, how is this is real. I never expected to be on a horse.’”
Kimberly and Doris noticed a remarkable difference in her sons very soon after they started riding, saying that they are 100% calmer and more focused than before. “I think it’s taught both of them patience and responsibility,” Doris said. “I see it in their eyes, something clicks the moment they saddle up and enters the ring.
“I feel like now they're in sync with their own bodies,” Kim added. “They're in sync with these horses.,” she added.
The family now owns three horses: Chesapeake and Jagger, who are both Holsteiners, and Buttons, who is a blue roan. “These horses are our co-parents,” Kimberly said. It is not just the horses that have helped the boys manage their ADHD, “it is also the equestrian community,” she explained. “The trainers, their barn mates and the grooms, just everyone that they come in contact with is teaching them something about the equestrian world. They're teaching them something, and Aall of that combined is stronger than any type of medication that they took. I’m thankful I feel like they have this community that has given them the tools to manage their ADHD.”
Cameron described riding as “the water to put out the fire of our ADHD. It is something to put our energy into. It helps calm us, focus us, and it helps us with maturing.”
One of the symptoms of ADHD is overthinking, Julian explained. “Thinking about so much that you can’t be focused, but when you're riding, all the stuff that you have to think about is there. It is easier to focus on what skills do you need for riding.”
Cameron said that there is one advantage of having ADHD in the show ring, at least. “The hyperfocus of ADHD can help with remembering my courses.”
Kimberly and Doris noticed a big difference with Julian in the past few months after he graduated to riding Jagger, who is “a very advanced horse.” She said Jagger “has really given him confidence; he just carries himself differently after being on this horse for the past few months,” she marveled.
In addition, Cameron said, “riding has really helped us build our character and the foundation of ourselves that wasn't really in us before.”
Cameron is currently showing 2’6” hunters, while big brother Julian is doing 0.80m jumpers.
“I won the 0.80m at the LA Classic, and I want to move up to the 0.90m and 1.0m. and win those classics as well. We do a lot of the local shows, including the West Palms Events circuit,” Julian explained. “I was also fortunate enough to be a also got a grant recipient for the Michael Nyuis Foundation, which is a good opportunity for young riders to participate at the West Palms shows,” he added. “What I love most about the grant is all the preparation in getting the horse shows together. I’m excited about the MNF horse show which is taking place Dec. 5-8th at the LAEC.” The Michael Nyuis Foundation offers grants for young riders aged 14-25 years. Recipients are selected based on financial need, commitment and dedication to the sport.
How Horses Can Help People With ADHD
Jayme Shelton is a psychological services provider at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee in Chula Vista, California, and is also a licensed clinical psychologist. She said that most people think of inattention and hyperactivity when talking about of ADHD, but there are numerous other potential symptoms such as anxiety, depression, emotion regulation and frustration tolerance, plus challenges with manual dexterity, executive function and motor function. “There's a lot more to ADHD than just not paying attention,” she explained.
“The challenges of ADHD can vary by person, but I think some of the biggest things are related to the ability to trust oneself and not being able to trust your emotions,” Shelton said. “Impulsivity is an aspect of ADHD, as well.”
She sees a lot of benefits of equestrian sports for people with ADHD. “First, there's that sense of independence and self-confidence from learning a skill and being able to interact with another mammal,” she said. “Horses provide direct feedback and it comes in a non-judgmental format. They have behavioral responses and so it can help individuals with ADHD understand how their actions impact others.”
Shelton went on to explain that “riding helps people develop self-awareness in an environment that is fun, and that allows them to be connected. It also doesn't come with the social pressure of an interaction with another person, I think of it as a more neutral way to build awareness of oneself and how behaviors can impact what's going on for them.”
Shelton also said that the relationship and bond that a horse and rider develop can be very effective. “It has to come with patience, effective communication and problem solving.” That human-horse bond also helps people learn to trust themselves. “Knowing that they can learn to regulate their own emotions as they help a horse regulate theirs and their responses provides an opportunity for mirroring.”
There are some benefits to athletes having ADHD, however. “I think the ability to quickly evaluate, assess and remember can absolutely be an asset in sport. There's a beauty to that pace of evaluation that might not necessarily always be fully conscious. They've already assessed [a situation] and taken it in but might not actually be fully aware of why they know something's about to happen,” she explained.
Shelton stressed that the decision to take medication or not is subjective and should be a personal choice. “In general, we recommend a combination of medication and behavioral therapy or therapeutic support,” she explained, adding that a multifaceted approach tends to give the best opportunities for healing any mental health issues. “It starts with awareness and self-compassion,” she said.
US Equestrian is publishing this article during ADHD Awareness Month, which occurs annually in October. For more information and resources on ADHD, we encourage you to visit ADHDawarenessmonth.org.here
Photos by Lindsey Long and Kristin Lee, courtesy of Kimberly Harrison