HippotherapyHippotherapy simply means "therapy using the movement of a horse." Have you ever seen the smile of a child riding on a horse, full of pride and joy? Can you imagine the confidence that a child with special needs gains when they ride a horse? Children who lack head, trunk, or leg control and cannot even sit up on the floor can be assisted to sit more upright on the back of a moving horse. While the movement of the horse encourages the child's body to exercise in correct alignment, the therapist can provide extra support or resistance to customize the treatment for each child. How Hippotherapy WorksThe movement of your body while riding a horse exercises the same postural muscle groups required for walking. The rhythmic motion also promotes symmetrical body alignment and normalized muscle tone. For children with sensory integration deficits, the movement provides prolonged proprioceptive, tactile, vestibular, and visual sensory input, aiding in organization of the child's response. In the first few months of hippotherapy, significant improvements are usually seen in the child's strength, endurance, balance, reaching, and visual scanning. The vestibular and proprioceptive input often produces babbling from nonverbal children and improves speech in verbal children. The children are exercising their entire body, all while having fun and enjoying the hour. Hippotherapy is great for children with:
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