DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — If you had told fourth-grader Garrett Doolin he’d be getting on a horse six weeks ago, he wouldn’t have believed you. Quite frankly, neither would his mom.

“When we first started, he was really nervous, didn’t really want to come,” Meagan Lock, his mom, said.

But, Michael Sams and his team at Riding Warriors in Decatur have turned that mindset around. It’s a therapeutic horseback riding program for children with special needs.

“The horses don’t care if they have special needs or not, it’s just a level playing field,” Sams said.

On Wednesday, 12 students “graduated” from the six-week program and showed off everything they’ve learned to family members proudly watching nearby.

Doolin has made a lot of progress since the first day and can now guide horses from one part of the ranch to another.

“There was an X, and I had to go over it. I had to weave in and out of three poles,” he described.

It’s something that makes his mom more than proud.

“It just gives the kids a sense of growth,” Lock said. “Things that are scary at first, maybe seem big and overwhelming, are really just loving characters.”

Sams knows that too, and is reminded of the progress every time a child accomplishes something they once never thought possible.

“When you come to do this, you’re re-energized,” Sams described.

Now, he hears some students begging parents for a new pair of boots and jeans so they can confidently get back on horses to continue doing what they love.

Riding Warriors recently received a $3,500 grant at the “She Said” Awards. That will be used for an “equicizer.” Sams described it as a type of simulator so children can get more comfortable around horses on a fake one first. He hopes it continues to calm the nerves of first time riders to help increase confidence in the long run.

If you’re interested in this six-week program or want to volunteer, connect with the organization on their Facebook page or website.