My son's school is one specifically for young people that are somewhere under the Autism Umbrella. They actually include horse riding as part of their curriculum. I had exactly the same reserves as you, however the horse riding school has been a blessing, e.g. to help fill in school holidays etc they fund a couple of days for the Young People to attend and seeing the sheer enjoyment and confidence on his face is amazing when we arrive to collect him at the end of the day.

Perhaps starting off with a few sessions at a riding school to see if it'd be something that your son is comfortable with and going to enjoy would be a good idea before making the purchase? Good luck and Let us know how it goes!

I think I will look into some places close to home that does hippotherapy. I don't think it is safe to have a horse in my back yard. Gaetano has already sneaked outside and into the fish pond.

I have no experience but would like to say that I would love to give my son a horse. If the horse has the right temperament and personality to be a good therapeutic companion, it'll be amazing for your son! Maybe you can get an experienced trainer to assess the colt and the adult horse and find out if they are trainable for your son's needs. Good luck!

I have no experience owning a horse at all but Josephine was involved in Hippotherapy for about two years and absolutely loved it...calmed her so very much.