Little Victories: A True Story of the Healing Power of Horses (Brown Dog Books), a new nonfiction book by equestrian authority and journalist Betty Weibel, takes readers inside the world of therapeutic riding.
Little Victories tells the inspirational story of a young woman who became a paraplegic after a riding arena collapsed on her. Written for teen through adult readers, with or without knowledge of horses, the book is available now in paperback and EBook on Amazon.com, as well as through select retailers.
Debbie Gadus was fulfilling her childhood dream of working in the horse business when a snow-covered arena roof collapsed on her and left her a paraplegic. With help from a small therapeutic horseback riding center that grew to become one of the nation’s leading facilities, Debbie learned to live with disability and eventually ride again. She went on to teach from her wheelchair and become a leader in the field of therapeutic riding.
Little Victories: A True Story of the Healing Power of Horses relates how horses led a young woman back to her dream and the value of therapeutic riding programs for children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. The book will be launched to the therapeutic riding industry at the annual conference of PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) International in Denver, Colorado, November 8-10. An Ohio launch event is also planned in December for individuals featured in the book, as well as for volunteers and staff at Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center in Bainbridge.
“I have always been a supporter and admirer of the work of Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center as well as PATH International,” explained Weibel. “I decided to write about Debbie’s story and the growth of the industry with the goal of creating a book that would help people of all ages understand the value of therapeutic riding programs. While the story focuses on Debbie and Fieldstone Farm, it really celebrates therapeutic riding centers worldwide.”
Weibel is a lifelong equestrian with a successful career spanning more than 30 years as a journalist and public relations professional. She researched and published her first nonfiction book, The Cleveland Grand Prix: An American Show Jumping First, in 2014 with The History Press/Arcadia. A resident of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Weibel has volunteered with Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center since its early evolution in the 1990s, first promoting the groundbreaking for a new center in Bainbridge and later serving on its Board of Trustees.
