The mother of a young rider who was born with cerebral palsy, had multiple major surgeries and spent months of her short life in hospital credits the power of horses for seeing her through.
Angela Hodge told H&H her 12-year-old daughter Esme has always had a passion for all things equestrian, and that horses have played a major part in her progress.
“It helps her in so many ways,” she said. “It’s her friendship, her motivation, her therapy, everything; she lives and breathes ponies.
“The main thing for us is that it’s her way; she feels at one with the ponies and feels at ease. She has difficult times and when she’s with horses, it melts away.”
Esme was born 12 weeks premature and spent time in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Nine years ago, she travelled to the US for spinal surgery, returning for another operation two years later.
“Then in 2024, she had both her femurs cut and realigned with titanium plates, to straighten her legs,” Angela said. “She spent the entire summer in Bristol children’s hospital, and she was watching the dressage at the Paris Paralympics. The only way they could get her out of the bed and actually on to the bike to do her rehab was to put the TV in front of her so she could watch the dressage. It gave her motivation and something specific to work on.”
Angela said that when Esme was a baby the first garment she could wear, in intensive care, was a cardigan knitted by her grandmother, which had horse-shaped buttons.
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“We got all the things out to show her when she was five or six, because she was interested in her time in NICU,” she said. “And by then, she was obsessed with horses. She saw it and she just loved the story that she was born to ride.”
(Image credit: Angela Hodge)
Esme first rode on a mechanical horse aged nearly three, and on a real pony some months later.
“Despite the repeated interruptions of surgery, she’s been riding with the Avon Riding for the Disabled Association [RDA] group throughout,” Angela said. “She was introduced to dressage, which she loves, and qualified for the nationals twice. Twice she couldn’t go because of surgery but every time, she’s been working back to full strength to compete again.”
This summer, Esme did compete at the RDA national championships. She is now hoping to get her grading to be able to compete in para dressage.
Angela said Esme’s mobility has been much improved by the surgery – and the horses.
“Being on a horse has helped so much; she’s gone from not being able to sit up on a pony to jumping,” Angela said.
“The strength she’s got from riding has been incredible. Horses have helped her going through the operations but it’s more than that for her, it’s friendship, it’s motivation, it’s everything.”
Esme’s ultimate goal is to compete at the Paralympics.
(Image credit: Angela Hodge)
“When when we first found out about her having cerebral palsy, I was told she would never walk, never talk, all these things,” Angela said.
“We’ve always told her there are things in life she’ll be able to do and things she won’t. But we focus on, ‘Even if you can’t do it, we first try to find out what are the barriers and how we can support you to try to see if we can do it an alternative way’. She’s always happy, smiling, always working. I’m so unbelievably proud of her.”
Jackie Linehan, legal director of Enable Law Legal who works with Esme’s family to meet her needs, told H&H: “It is always a pleasure to be able to support Enable Law clients so they can follow their interests and ensure they have access to opportunities to strengthen self-confidence and build independence that they might otherwise lack.
“We think the world of Ezzy, whose positive attitude and determination to focus on what she can do and her abilities rather than what she can't do and her disabilities is truly inspirational.
“She truly is a brilliant role model for young people who are living with cerebral palsy as she clearly won't let anything hold her back and we will continue to work with her family to help her pursue her dreams.”
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
