Physical Therapy Services

What is hippotherapy?

Hippotherapy refers to how physical therapists, occupational therapists or speech language pathologists use the purposeful manipulation of equine movement as a therapy tool to engage the sensory, neuromotor and cognitive systems and promote functional outcomes.  It is just one of the tools or treatment strategies that a therapist may use to help a client reach their goals.

Why the horse?

A horse’s movement provides symmetric, graded, rhythmic, consistent input that can help facilitate postural control, balance reactions, trunk strength, tone management, motor planning and endurance.  A client sitting astride a horse experiences a weight shift similar to a normal human gait, but will also have the opportunity to experience novel input as the therapist carefully manipulates the horse’s movement, changes the orientation of the client or integrates another activity. 

What can it help with?

Hippotherapy can help to integrate all the systems of the body and generate improvements in:

• functional mobility and gait

• sitting, standing and dynamic balance

• postural alignment/symmetry and core strength

• functional and cardiovascular endurance

• coordination and muscle tone

• gross motor skills

• respiratory control

• balance confidence and self esteem

10 minutes of 3-dimensional equine movement can provide 1000 repetitions of specific and unique neurologic input that cannot be replicated in a traditional clinic.

Who is it appropriate for?

Clients 2 years old and up may be eligible to utilize this tool in a treatment session. Appropriate individuals may have the following diagnoses and/or impairments:

• Cerebral Palsy

• Down Syndrome

• Developmental Delay

• Genetic Syndromes

• Traumatic Brain Injury/Stroke

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Muscular Dystrophy

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Cognitive disabilities

• Impaired mobility

• Impaired balance

• Impaired coordination

• Impaired postural control

• Abnormal muscle tone