Spring is a sensational time to adopt a new outdoor activity. Why not consider hippotherapy, equine-assisted therapy or therapeutic/adaptive horseback riding? Wondering how these activities differ? Read on.
Hippotherapy
Derived from the Greek word “hippos,” which means horse, hippotherapy provides a healing and enjoyable therapeutic treatment for physical and neurological disabilities such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and autism spectrum disorders. The therapy, first recognized in the 1960s, helps to improve balance, coordination, strength, and mobility.
Hippotherapy’s therapeutic properties are associated with horses’ rhythmic and repetitive gait which is similar to the gait of human beings. During therapy, the horse’s movements offer continuous sensory input, promote neuromuscular development and help the client to improve their posture, balance and motor skills. The therapist may use positions and exercises to build particular skills. For hippotherapy to be safe and effective it must be provided by a specially trained physical, occupational or speech-language therapist as part of an integrative treatment plan.
Equine-assisted therapy
In equine-assisted therapy, individuals focus on caring for horses, rather than riding them. Clients who engage in this type of therapy are typically being treated for mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, addiction or post-traumatic stress disorder.
According to Psychology Today, “during an equine-assisted therapy session, the client will typically engage in basic caretaking activities with the horse with the help and direction of an equine specialist; common examples include grooming the animal, feeding it, and leading it around an enclosure. … Afterward, the mental health professional and the client will usually discuss what occurred, what was learned, and what behaviors or emotions they might target in their next session with the horse.”
Therapeutic/adaptive horseback riding
Unlike hippotherapy and equine-assisted therapy, therapeutic horseback riding is more educational and recreational in its focus. That said, individuals who engage in this type of horseback riding derive many physical and emotional benefits. Physical benefits include improved flexibility, balance, strength and coordination. According to Kathleen Salas, a physical therapist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Adaptive Sports Centers in Boston, “The left-right coordination you develop on horseback is a perfect translation for someone working on their walking skills. Perched atop a horse, riders must engage muscles in their abdomen, back, and pelvis to stabilize their trunk and maintain posture.”
Psychological benefits of therapeutic horseback riding include the experience of “building a relationship with a horse,” says Salas. For example, Salas recalls the experiences of two boys with ASD who came to her for riding lessons. The boys had difficulty relating to others and limited language skills. “Horses are easy to bond with in a non-threatening way, and those boys developed an emotional connection so quickly,” she says. “The boys also hadn’t put two-word sentences together until suddenly they were motivated to tell the horses ‘More, faster!’”
