The Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson
Publication date/ Length: 2009 / 351 pages
Synopsis (from the jacket cover): When his son, Rowan, was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson, a lifelong 
horseman, was devastated. Would he ever be able to communicate with his son, much less share the wonder of horses with him? Then something extraordinary happened…
First line: “The horse digs its back hooves into the dirt and gives one last, scrambling effort to reach the top of the rise.”
Review: This is the third book about autism I have read in the past year and have enjoyed them all. Horse Boy was a bit like a cross between Cowboy and Wills and The Possiblity of Everything. The animal connection (my favorite part, of course) was prominent, yet the journey of healing echoed Possibility.
In this memoir, the the author is incredibly generous about his frustrations, fears, and even physical tribulations that occur as a result of this harrowing journey. Isaacson decided to take his son on a trek (mostly by horseback) through the Monogolian wilderness to seek healing from a number of shamans. Sound crazy? That’s what his wife thought, too, but she gamely joined them — despite her fear of horses.
The journey is as difficult as it sounds. The food, sleeping on the ground, disrupting an autist’s schedule, a six-year-old who is not toilet-trained… whew! The trip is engrossing and engaging — hard to put down – and a bit long, too. However, I can’t imagine any part I would cut. The journey should seem long and arduous — since it was. I felt Isaacson’s embarrassment when Rowan would have a tantrum, his frustration needing to change a six-year-old’s diaper, his gratitude for the gentle horses who respond so well to Rowan, and even the maddening pain of a cold sore — which I, too, get during times of stress.
So, I would recommend this memoir to anyone interested in autism, the healing power of animals, shamanism — or anyone interested in watching how tenacious parents can be when trying to heal and soothe a child. I loved how compassionate Isaacson was — and the shamans, too. I appreciated Isaacson’s perspective that autism isn’t necessarily a wrong that needs to be put right — or an illness that needs to be cured, either. His perspective was more that we have room in our world for many different ways of interacting with the world and autism should be included in that spectrum, for the sake of the child and society in general.
Here is a passage from a psychologist, who was autistic herself, explaining why autists tend to respond so well to animals:
“Animals think in pictures,” she told us. “So do I. So do many autists. It means we can’t connect to other people, who think differently, in words or other menal patterns. Because animals think the same way — visually — autistic people often connect well with animals… Autists, if you like, are a connecting point for non-austists to the animal world, and animals, especially for autistic kids, can often be the connecting point between the autistic and the ‘normal’ human world.” As for why the act of riding seemed to make Rowan’s language develop, she said that research had shown that any repetitive rocking motion that requires the person to continually find and refind his balance stimulates the areas of the brain where the learning receptors are located. “Combine that with the fact that being on a horse is just so darned cool,” she added, “and it’s no wonder kids respond…”
Anyone else try this yet? The waiting list was loooong at the library, so I imagine others have stumbled across this lovely journey, as well?
THE HORSE BOY, both the documentary and the book, are extremely inspirational – seeing the world through autism and how significantly interaction with horses has improved Rowan’s fits is something short of miraculous. If you liked the film, it is now out on DVD from Zeitgeist Films. If you didn’t get a chance to check it out, consider saving it to your Netflix or Blockbuster queue!
Thank you, Asha! I will be sure to check it out!