Like so many girls, Joy Rittenhouse wanted to ride a horse; preferably her own horse, but any horse would do. She wanted to, but she couldn't. On her eighth birthday her parents discovered that she had polio, which would keep her hospitalized and in physical therapy for the next nine months. When her hospital ordeal finally ended, she wore a leg brace for a number of years, never regaining the full strength and use of her legs.

Then on a vacation over 27 years ago, Joy was encouraged to ride a horse. Overcoming her fear, she rode with a group through the Hemet desert country. She found that she was able to ride despite her weakened right leg, and -- exhilarated by the experience -- she began to pursue riding more seriously. True, her polio limited her, and at times she felt like quitting, but she remembers:

"A clinic with Lendon Gray -- member of the US Olympic Dressage Team -- turned my life around. She told me about Liz Hartel, Denmark's 1952 Olympic Silver Medal dressage winner -- a polio victim like myself, and strongly encouraged me to work harder. Her words impacted my heart. 'Liz Hartel can do it', she said, 'You can do it too.' It was at that point that I became determined not to give up and to keep trying, no matter what."

Liz Hartel's success prompted recognition from both medical and equine professionals that a new form of rehabilitation and therapy had arrived, and Joy looked forward to benefiting from it.

Joy rode hunt seat, then dressage, competing and receiving her California Dressage Society certificate in 1993. Along the way, she owned and leased over thirty horses of different breeds, conditions, training levels, and degrees of orneriness. But more important, Joy began to find herself getting stronger and gaining endurance. Things she never thought possible, she now did easily. It was this discovery which ultimately led to her participation in therapeutic riding.

Joy studied therapeutic riding techniques, completing an intense course of study at at the SHEA Center and receiving her certification from them. She joined the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA), and completed her instructer's certification proceedings there, as well as being elected NARHA Region 11 (California, Hawaii and Nevada) representative in 1996. She is also a member of CHA-Association for Horsemanship Safety and Education, an organization devoted to high standards of riding instruction and safety.

Then, after years of effort and study, hundreds of hours of volunteering and student teaching, Joy founded Move A Child Higher (MACH 1) so that other children with disabilities like hers can experience the benefits of horseback therapy. Joy says:

"Knowing the pain, hurt and frustration I've experienced, I want to bring a nurturing atmosphere to my program, an environment that is loving and caring - one that not only conveys an attitude of love, but also that nothing is impossible with God. I'm convinced that it works not only because of my personal success, but because of the success we've seen with our students. Porter said it best when he wrote, 'He who has seen the tree-tops bend before the wind, or a horse move, knows all there is to be known about dancing.' Every rider should have a chance to dance, especially those who are physically limited."

 

MACH1 began operations at the Flintridge Riding Club in 1997 with one horse and 1 child.