When Nelly Jacobs first got on a horse at the age of nine, she knew she had found her passion. She loved riding horses and even did well as a competitive jumper.
But when she started experiencing tremors at age 51 – the early stages of Parkinson’s – she knew her days of riding were numbered.
Now 87, Nellie is confined to a wheelchair and relies on a caretaker, but she has never lost her love of horses and she always wanted to ride one again.
When Hidden Desires, an initiative of The Care Group and Green Cross Members Organization in The Netherlands, heard about Nellie’s wish, they were determined to make it happen.
While Nellie couldn’t ride a horse the way she used to, they figured out a way to make it feel like she was back in the saddle.
It was a challenge, but the huge smile on her face as she rode around the arena made it all worth it! It was a moment she – and everyone else who was there – will never forget!
Were you touched by Nellie’s reaction to being on a horse again? So share this!