THE LITTLE BIT 2025 FALL APPEAL

Your gift to Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center by December 31 provides Little Bit services to children and adults with disabilities who need these services now. You have the power to provide the expert therapists and instructors, trained volunteers, and specially selected and trained horses that Jacob and others need to lead fulfilling and joyful lives. Today, Little Bit provides Therapy and Adaptive Riding services to participants at less than 35 percent of the actual cost. Will you make a gift today to provide more Little Bit services as soon as possible and keep those services going week after week? Thank you!

Jacob Finds Trust and Bravery at Little Bit

“I’m so proud of all the progress he makes in his life, knowing the challenges he faces internally. I know how hard days can be for him,” said Dad Sean.

It’s tough for their family of four as they work around Jacob’s needs as best they can. Home is a safe and quiet space where he can find the comfort and familiarity he needs to regulate his emotions. Dining out requires planning ahead or bringing Jacob’s food. Vacation destinations are always familiar. They leave birthday parties early, if they go at all. Sean and Jacob made it through two innings of their first Mariners game. Through all this, their large extended family loves them and understands.

Now in third grade, Jacob loves school and has two good friends plus supportive teachers. “He masks so much at school, and when he comes home, it’s an avalanche of emotions,” said Mom Jenna. After recently trying group sports, he’s begun Kung Fu lessons. “Trying something new is so daunting for him,” said Jenna, continuing, “I really think that his time at Little Bit has made him more willing to try and do those different things. It’s given him something he’s proud to talk about. He feels like the expert.”

Despite Sean and Jenna’s best efforts, it took close to seven years to receive the diagnoses of autism, anxiety, eating disorder, developmental coordination disorder, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. For them, the diagnoses were a validation of what Jacob had been experiencing and hopefully they will open doors to services.

When they learned about Little Bit from their pediatrician, they knew they had to try it. He started in group occupational therapy, focusing on social interactions. Despite his love of horses, Jacob, then six years old, was afraid to touch or ride a horse. Over the next five months, he began to interact with kids in the group more, showing less anxiety and anger, and eventually he fed one horse and briefly touched another—all reasons to celebrate. Jacob then moved into individual occupational therapy to work on his goals of decreasing transition time between activities, increasing self-advocacy, and improving whole body coordination.

The path to reaching his therapy goals at Little Bit would not be easy. His occupational therapist, Sarah, a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, spent nearly a year working with Jacob on the ground, including feeding horses and working together in the therapy gym. The early weeks were especially challenging and required avoiding all talk of horses. At times Jacob was mad, sad, or anxious. When Jacob was ready to talk about horses again, he shared that he was most afraid of falling off his horse. Sarah assured him that she wouldn’t let that happen because she could give him a hug and take him off. Mutual trust will always be a vital part of Jacob’s Little Bit experience.

The team practiced “riding” on Little Bit’s large model horse on wheels, named “Philly.” Little Bit Horse Handler Skylar demonstrated how to ride Philly, and eventually Jacob agreed to try getting on, with his eyes closed.

The team once again adjusted the experience by allowing Jacob to brush horse Lou while at the mounting ramp. Sarah recognized an opportunity and lifted Jacob onto Lou, and he uttered, “This is not my jam.” Sarah replied, “I kind of have you on now, so we have to take steps forward so that we can get you off.” Jacob scowled. “I’m going to help you be brave and we’re going to do one lap. Do you want me to help you be brave?” It’s a question Sarah often asks. After one lap, she helped Jacob off.

Sarah asked, “How was it? Are you mad at me?” Jacob replied, “It was scary. I could never be mad at you.” Minutes later, Jacob rode Lou again, this time with his family watching, and there were tears all around. He rode for 20 minutes, with his eyes closed. Everyone lost track of time, experiencing the magic that was over a year in the making. Best of all, Jacob was happy that day and has ridden every time since then.

Lou is exceptional and was hand-picked to be Jacob’s partner. He has enough patience to sometimes wait as long as 20 minutes for Jacob to gather the courage to ride, even when he knows his dinner is waiting. When Lou feels he’s waited long enough, he gently nudges Jacob as if to say, “Are we doing this or not?” Lou’s rhythmic slow walk and short height help Jacob feel calm and safe. Unlike some horses, Lou’s energy level remains consistent, and Jacob has learned how to adjust his own energy level to match Lou’s—a skill he can apply to other parts of his life. Describing what makes Lou the best horse, Jacob said, “He goes slow, and I really want to go slow. And he’s acting like I’m his boss.”

Jacob’s Little Bit team: therapist Sarah, horse handler Skylar, volunteer Gaby, and horse Lou adjust each session based on Jacob’s needs that day. Occasionally Jacob asks for a quiet day. After the first quiet day, he whispered to Sarah, “I want them to know that I still like them.”

The team follows Jacob’s lead in pretend play while riding, from being cowboys in the Wild West to being LeBron James shooting hoops on the Little Bit activity trail. Jenna added, “Sarah is totally willing to jump in with both feet in whatever world he’s interested in.”

Sarah shared, “He’s reached a level of trust with the team that he knows that we’re not judging him if he has a rough day—that we’re just there for him.” When asked how he feels at Little Bit, Jacob replied, “Really grateful. And excited, and like, loved. Almost every day I think about Little Bit. I always think about everybody in Little Bit, like everyone who works with me.”

Describing Little Bit, Sean shared, “The comfort he feels here. It’s warm, friendly, caring, and open. There’s something different about this place. It’s a different level of really, truly caring about everyone here. I absolutely love this place. This is just as much for parents and caregivers as it is for the people with challenges. We feel seen.”

Jenna added, “Sarah is so intentional. She got him so, so well. She was such a safe person with him. She’s been great about working with us and pushing him outside his comfort zone. It’s a very, very tailored support model that you don’t get everywhere.”

She continued, “I didn't think that it would be the holistic experience that it has ended up being, and I'm surprised we didn't hear about it earlier. I hope this ends up being a really good fit for a lot of people because I think it addresses so much more than you think it will. I will shout it from the rooftops every chance I get.”

When asked what he would like people to know about him, Jacob responded, “I have an active imagination. My favorite thing is to imagine riding horses more. That's why I like it. It's kind of like Robin Hood.” He then demonstrated his whistling skill and imitated a few animal sounds, too—and they were spot on.

♥ Thank you to Jacob, Jenna, and Sean for sharing their story with all of us.

Thank you to Jacob’s Little Bit Team. Thank you to Steve Birds Photography.

Written by Sharon Soldenwagner