Odessa farm helps people with disabilities

Angie Plude tells a story that, on the surface, sounds simple.

Shortly after a recent piano practice and moments after entering a Target store, her 6-year-old daughter, Olivia, ran to a clothes display and picked out a short-sleeved shirt.

"All of sudden," said Plude, a Land O' Lakes resident, "she decided she wanted a short-sleeved shirt."

It sounds routine enough — unless you are familiar with her background.

Olivia's autism gives her sensory issues. In the past, on a typical Florida summer day – 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity – she might pull on a zip-up, hooded jacket and a pair of jeans.

She is learning to adjust, wearing clothing appropriate for the season.

Angie Plude, 34, holding on to her 4-year-old daughter, Bella, attributes those strides to Quantum Leap Farm.

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Quantum Leap was created in 2000 by Edie Dopking to help adults and children with varying disabilities. From cancer to cerebral palsy, from autism to amputation, people can leave behind their disability when they are hoisted onto a horse or seated inside a carriage.

The farm — 10 acres tucked off of Gunn Highway — has a dozen horses, two goats, two turkeys, a dog and a cat. They all are there to make people happy.

One of those people is Maj. Lee Nelson.

In August 2009, Nelson, a chaplain in the Army, was en route to his base in Italy when he was hit by a semi-trailer truck as he drove a motorcycle.

The accident left him without the use of his legs.

Two years ago, during a recreation session at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, someone suggested he try therapeutic horseback riding. The therapist had him get on a large, wooden horse and began rocking it back and forth. When she saw Nelson could hold on, she told him he was ready for a real horse.

Immediately he looked over at the sliding glass doors closing off the room.

"I said, 'Yeah, the situation is, this horse is not going to take off through those doors,'" he recalled. "'This horse has no legs!'"

He knew other veterans participated in therapeutic riding and even enjoyed the sessions. So he convinced himself to try the real thing.

That first ride in March 2010, with walkers to his right and left, Nelson said he gripped the saddle so tight his body was exhausted after 15 minutes.

Two years later, he said, his torso is developed to the extent that he no longer has difficulty sitting in a wheelchair for extended periods. In the past, when his body became fatigued, he would lean to either side.

So what is it about horseback riding that is therapeutic?

It's a nonweight-bearing activity that forces riders to use both sides of their bodies. For those with walking issues, a horse's gait mimics that of a human. The horse's motions can stimulate neurons that help enable riders to straighten their own movements.

Then there's the rhythmic part of riding a horse. The one, two, three, four cadence helps organize a rider's coordination and thoughts.

"We've incorporated not just the physical, but the mental health components," Dopking said. "And also working with entire families and that's kind of where we are now."

During a therapeutic ride, Olivia Plude was led on the horse by Jenna Miller, Quantum Leap's head therapeutic instructor. While riding, she pointed to alphabets affixed to the arena's interior posts and named animals corresponding with the various letters.

"They were on the horse and started to go past K and Olivia says, 'Whoa!'" Angie Plude said. "First, that she even knew to say 'Whoa' to get the horse to stop. And she points to K, which is huge because before she never was able to isolate a finger and she goes, 'K – kangaroo.' Then she was able to move on."

The strings of events forced Miller to look at Angie Plude in drop-jawed astonishment. They eventually continued with the session.

Family members of those with disabilities also may ride.

For Bella Plude, Quantum Leap Farm has become a haven as much as it is for her sister, Olivia. When Bella hops on Idaho, a pony donated to the farm, she experiences her own brand of therapy.

The riding even has affected her piano lessons. She recently scored 100 on a quiz, and earned praise from her instructor, who was impressed with how well she listened and carried out instructions.

"It's therapy for the whole family in an indirect way," Angie Plude said.

Standing in the bricked seating area of the riding arena, Dopking, arms folded across her white, short-sleeved polo shirt, looked out at the dirt-covered surface. Nelson was on one of the farm's horses, Tampa Bay, and in a moment of clarity, she declared aloud: "You'd never know something was wrong."

Just how they like it.

Information on Quantum Leap Farm, visit www.quantumleapfarm.org or call (813) 920-9250 For more or email: quantumleapfarm@verizon.net.