EMERALD M THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER

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Physical Therapy Incorporating Hippotherapy

What is Physical Therapy Incorporating Hippotherapy?

Hippotherapy is a treatment strategy used by Physical, Occupational and/or Speech Therapists to utilize the movement of the horse along with traditional therapeutic techniques to achieve the desired motor and sensory outcomes of the participant. The horse provides multidimensional movement and multisensory input in an organized fashion which can help to improve a variety of deficits.

The horse’s pelvis and hips move in the exact same way as a human’s pelvis and hips when walking on the ground. The horse assists us with retraining the brain in the walking pattern and improving balance and coordination. For a person who has either never walked or lost the ability to walk, the horse’s movement can introduce and coordinate the pattern of walking within the body and brain.

Core strength is imperative for a multitude of functional tasks. Sitting on a horse while in motion can challenge the core 3,000-5,000 times more than functional training in a clinic. The horse is a dynamic being that takes 100 steps per minute while walking and every step the horse takes the body must respond in order to stay upright. We can achieve higher progress outcomes with a horse in a shorter amount of time. We are essentially combining two nervous systems, the client’s and a horse. This in turn stimulates all the neuropathways of the patient simultaneously within that session.