th my parents beforehand, one day in my therapy session i was asked by the psychologist what i wanted more than anything in the world. he explained that i was going to be given an opportunity to work for what i wanted. i couldn`t believe my good luck, but i could not answer. i just stood there struggling to verbalize what i wanted more than anything else in the world. finally, i was permitted to whisper the answer in my mother`s ear. "a horse," was all i could say.
     i was to get a pony, but before we could even start looking, i had to live up to my end of the bargain. i had to try to talk. i had a chart of weekly tasks i had to accomplish. i had to answer the phone five times per week, something i had never done before. i had to make five phone calls to my friends. i had to say one word to my teacher at school and the list went on. for a child with selective mutism, saying one word to someone can be like climbing mount everest.
     i did everything that was asked of me and the day came when my parents found a local riding stable that had the perfect pony. his name was sequoia, a strong little chestnut with some roaning and a tiny white spot on his rump. he was perfect, of course, and i fell in love immediately. we boarded him at the riding stable and i began taking lessons. i wanted to be the best i could be and i swelled with pride every time i got on sequoia. it truly was a dream come true. i learned to brush him, saddle him, pick his hooves out. each week i could not wait for saturday and my lesson, then my free time with my sequoia. when i was in sequoia`s presence, i forgot all about my problems and felt strong and secure.