HIPPOTHERAPY

 

Hippotherapy is the purposeful use of the horse and equine moment as a treatment strategy by a licensed occupational, speech or physical therapist to help children achieve functional outcomes and meet therapy goals.

 

The Greek word hippos means horse, therefore hippotherapy is the therapeutic use of the horse.  Hippotherapy should not be confused with therapeutic riding, as hippotherapy is a medically based treatment tool used by a licensed professional.  Therapeutic riding aims to teach the special needs population, equestrian and horsemanship skills needed for independent riding.

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At Help on Hooves, hippotherapy is integrated into a client's occupational therapy plan of care when it is appropriate.  We are also able to use the affordances of the equine and non-clinical environment, in combination with traditional OT treatment strategies to enhance functional outcomes.  We strongly feel that the decline of outdoor play and increase in screen time has contributed to the rise of sensory issues in today's children.  The use of hippotherapy in an OT treatment setting is evidenced based and has been proven to improve fine & gross motor skills, core strength and postural control, sensory integration, attention, self-regulation, visual perception, visual motor skills and much more. 

 

The unique relationship formed between a client and horse can help increase communication skills, interpersonal relationships, and improve self-esteem.  Numerous studies have shown a significant decrease in cortisol levels (stress hormone) after a hippotherapy session.

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A horse’s pelvis also displays the same multidimensional movement as a human pelvis.  This means, when sitting astride a horse, those who cannot walk or are learning to walk can experience the same reciprocal patterned movement in their hips that a walking person does.  These variable, rhythmic and repetitive movements are skillfully adjusted by the trained therapist in order to strengthen muscles and provide specialized sensory feedback.

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The average horse takes approximately 120 walking steps per minute.  Which means, in a 30minute session, a horse takes about 3,600 steps.  This gives a child 3,600 opportunities for postural adjustments and 3,600 opportunities for receiving sensory impulses. These opportunities help improve sensory processing skills, increase core strength and much more!

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Help on Hooves is the only facility in Northwest Florida currently providing hippotheapy services.  Contact Help on Hooves today to see if hippotherapy is an appropriate treatment strategy to utilize in your child's occupational therapy plan of care!