In a sandy arena surrounded by nature, Carlos Mendez helps a young man mount a horse. The rider is a former soldier coping with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. When he first came to Equinoiterapia [eck-ee-no-tair-uh-pee-uh], Puerto Rico, the soldier was hesitant to even touch the horse. Today, he sits tall in the saddle. As the horse walks along, the man’s shoulders relax and a smile lights up his face.
All around the world, adults and children with a wide variety of mental and physical challenges find help and healing from horses.
Humans have relied on horses for thousands of years for transportation, hunting, and other tasks, but the practice of therapeutic [ther-uh-pyoo-tik] riding traces its origin to one courageous horsewoman. Lis Hartel of Denmark was an excellent rider before she caught polio. The disease weakened her muscles, making her unable to walk. Her doctors ordered Lis to stop riding, but she had a better idea. Lis found a physical therapist to help her regain her strength. Although she remained paralyzed from the knee down, Lis trained hard to earn a spot as one of the first women to compete in the male-dominated sport of dressage. At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, Lis shocked the world. Despite needing to be lifted onto her horse, she placed second in her event, becoming the first woman equestrian to win an Olympic medal.
Lis’s triumph thrust equine-assisted [ee-kwahyn-uh-sis-ted] therapy into the public eye. The practice grew rapidly in Europe and spread to the Americas. Today, the Federation of Horses and Therapy International (HETI) reports 263 member programs in 47 countries.
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Animal Central
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31 Countries Biosphere
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THE LEGEND OF THE QUETZAL BIRD
A Mayan Tale retold by Pat Betteley illustrated by Amanda Shepherd
Semana Santa GUATEMALA'S HOLY WEEK
What if Easter preparations meant dyeing sand, collecting pine needles, and staying up all night to work on an art project that you knew would be ruined the very next day? Well, welcome to Guatemala’s Semana Santa, or Holy Week.
ME OH-MAYA!
The Maya are groups of people who live in parts of Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. Their ancestors created a great society. At its peak, from 600-900 C.E., the Maya civilization was more advanced than its neighbors in the Americas.
Playing Games Honduras-style
Would you play the same games in Honduras that you do in the United States? You might. Children in Honduras enjoy many of the same games North Americans do. They go fishing and shoot baskets. They play sandlot baseball—called bate (BAH tay). They fly kites and ride bikes. Their parents may go horseback riding or play golf or tennis.
LIVING A LONG LIFE IN THE Blue Zone
Most people would like to live as long a life as possible. No one really knows why some people live longer than others, but did you know that where you live can play a big part in how many years you’ll be alive? If you live in a Blue Zone, chances are that you will live much longer than people in other parts of the world.
ATTENTION WORLD: Belize Saves Their Coral Reef
Sea turtles float in clear waters, colorful corals hug the ocean floor, and aquatic animals glide among the mangrove roots. Welcome to the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, the second-largest coral reef in the world (Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is number one). Several years ago, this reef was in crisis, heading toward destruction. But the people of Belize fought back to save their reef’s health.
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a 51-mile long canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
This is Central America!
It’s time to visit Central America. But first, it helps to know exactly where Central America is. Despite its name, it is the southernmost part of North America, which can seem a little confusing. It makes up most of the isthmus dividing the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses and has water on both sides.
