One of the most beautiful and touching films I’ve seen.
It’s about a family with a child who has a diagnosis of autism and the incredible healing journey they take together.
How far would you travel to heal someone you love? An intensely personal yet epic spiritual journey, The Horse Boy follows one Texas couple and their autistic son as they trek on horseback through Outer Mongolia in a desperate attempt to treat his condition with shamanic healing. When two-year-old Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson, a writer and former horse trainer, and his wife Kristin Neff, a psychology professor, sought the best possible medical care for their son—but traditional therapies had little effect. Then they discovered that Rowan has a profound affinity for animals—particularly horses—and the family set off on a quest for a possible cure.
The Horse Boy is part travel adventure, part insight into shamanic tradition and part intimate look at the autistic mind. In telling one families extraordinary story, the film gives voice to the thousands who display amazing courage and creativity everyday in the battle against this mysterious and heartbreaking epidemic. The filmic companion to Isaacsons best-selling book of the same name and a festival favorite, this ravishing documentary odyssey gives insight into how, in lifes darkest moments, one can find the gateway to joy and wonder.
What I find joyful here is that people can be endlessly creative to find ways to heal. This is the journey that was right for this family.
It’s available at Netflix to rent if you have it, that is where I happened upon it.
The paperback book is available for sale here: The Horse Boy: A Memoir of Healing
And the DVD: The Horse Boy
Everything Matters 