I love to alternate 9-patch with a feature cut. If possible, I use the feature fabric as one of the fabrics in the 9-ptch and then I use a contrast for the other.
What a wonderful thing you're doing. Horse therapie, a quilt, and lots of love will help the little one heal for sure.

Our quilt store has a great piece of fabric that looks like barbed wire. It would be so clever on the back of your quilt! I want to make a horse theme quilt for my DGD next year and will use the barbed wire for the backing.