Equine Assisted Therapy

Also called Equine-Assisted Therapy or Therapy with Equines, Hippotherapy (from the Greek word hippos meaning horse) is a medical treatment utilizing the purposeful manipulation of equine movement as a treatment strategy to address functional goals.

In simpler terms: through hippotherapy, specially trained physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists apply the movement, rhythm, and repetition of the horse as a treatment strategy to help patients achieve therapeutic goals. At our facility, the activity stations throughout our custom sensory track are designed to encourage specific motor function and neurological stimulation in order to further enhance the growth and development potential of our participants. Many insurances may be used for services through our wonderful therapy partners with just a $10 per session facility-use fee. 

Basically… Everything!

It’s all about movement. The horse’s pelvis shares the same three-dimensional planes as the human pelvis: front to back (anterior/posterior or flexion/extension), side to side (lateral), and rotation. This movement is multi-dimensional and provides a system-wide neurophysiological impact.

Receiving the movement transmitted by the horse’s pelvis – which results in weight shifts, balance reactions, and core/pelvis motions – helps the rider develop the skills – like motor planning, bilateral coordination, muscle strength, balance, visual perceptual, sensory regulation, weight-bearing, timing, and more – so essential for daily life.

In Short: The dynamic movement of the horse combined with the dynamic environment leads to functional change. 

By applying different combinations of patterns (like circles, weaving, uphill and downhill), gaits and speeds (slow walk, fast walk, trot), riding postures (sitting facing forward, sideways or backwards, on hands and knees, lying face-down), and interactive activity stations which are designed to develop particular physical, mental, and emotional skills, our highly trained therapists are able to provide precisely the sensory and neurological input each child will benefit from most.

Combining the traditional therapy practices with the use of horses has seen improvements in many ways:

Physical benefits include improvements in

• Balance/equilibrium
• Control of extremities
• Coordination
• Endurance
• Eye-hand coordination
• Fine motor skills such as writing, tying shoelaces, and snipping with scissors
• Gross motor skills such as sitting, standing, and walking
• Head and trunk control
• Flexibility
• Postural symmetry
• Mobility
• Motor planning
• Muscle tone and strength
• Range of motion
• Respiratory control
• Transitions
• Trunk/core strength
• Visual motor

Cognitive benefits include advancements in

• Attention
• Empathy
• Emotional awareness
• Stress tolerance
• Expressing thoughts and needs
• Self-regulation
• Timing and grading of responses
• Understanding of visual cues
• Visual coordination
• Confidence
• Impulse control
• Problem solving
• Independence
• Inter-personal relationships