Hippotherapy

Hippotherapy uses the horse's movement as a treatment strategy. The horse's walk influences the rider in exactly the same manner as if the rider was walking themselves.

Hippotherapy is a form of physical, occupational, and speech therapy in which a therapist uses the characteristic movements of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory input. A foundation is established to improve neurological function and sensory processing, which can be generalized to a wide range of daily activities. Unlike therapeutic horseback riding (where specific riding skills are taught), the movement of the horse is a means to a treatment goal when utilizing hippotherapy as a treatment strategy.

Hippotherapy has positive influences in the following areas: physical, emotional, psychological, social, cognitive, and education.

Hippotherapy has been used to treat patients with a variety of disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, head injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, behavioral disorders, and psychiatric disorders.