Hippotherapy: What Is It For?
Riding therapy consists of using horses in therapeutic activities for humans. Therefore, this treatment was considered alternative and questioned for many years. Fortunately, advances in medical studies have allowed scientists to recognize the health benefits of equine therapy.
Currently, horse-assisted therapy activities are widely recommended by medicine . The indications are diverse, as well as the types of exercises and forms of contact with the horse.
Brief history of hippotherapy
In the last decades, medical indications for equine- assisted therapy have grown significantly . However, the beneficial properties of treatments with these animals were already known by classical civilizations.
The first known medical prescription records for this treatment come from Ancient Greece . At that time, horses were already used to prevent and rehabilitate multiple physical and psychological illnesses.
In the 17th century horse therapy regained importance in medical studies. . Thereafter, it is also incorporated as a treatment for the negative effects of gout.
Benefits of hippotherapy for health
The therapeutic principle common to the different exercises of assisted therapy with horses is based on motor and cognitive stimulation.
On the one hand, the three-dimensional movement of the horse is able to stimulate the muscles and joints of the human body . This controlled stimulation technique is very efficient in improving motor skills. In addition, it helps in the rehabilitation of accidents and traumas.
On the other hand, the horse is sensitive, sociable and insightful . Contact with this animal allows children and adults to develop their ability to communicate, integrate and cognize, which is why it is widely used as a therapy for mental or neurological diseases and disorders.
Medical indications for riding therapy
Hippotherapy is gaining ground in the treatment of various physical and mental disorders . All thanks to the multiple benefits in the motor and neurological systems of chronic patients.
Currently, the horse is used as a therapeutic tool to rehabilitate children, adolescents and adults . Furthermore, it benefits the psychological, neuromuscular, cognitive and social levels.
therapy examples
The cases where equestrian assisted therapy is most commonly recommended are:
- Injuries, strokes and cerebral palsy
- Syndromes or injuries that affect the spinal cord
- ataxias
- Asthma
- Parkinson’s
- muscular dystrophies
- Syndromes that affect growth
- Disorders that hinder socialization skills
- Fibromyalgia
- Down’s syndrome
- Autism
- Multiple sclerosis
- Trauma and various motor difficulties
- Accident Rehabilitation
- Physical and psychomotor illnesses
- Language and communication difficulties
- behavioral disorders
Riding therapy modalities
There are different modalities of therapeutic practices with horses . Each one is chosen according to the disorder to be treated.
therapeutic riding
It is considered the basis of therapeutic activities of hippotherapy . It consists of performing physical exercises controlled when riding a horse. It is indicated for various psychopedagogical and physiotherapeutic rehabilitations.
Hippotherapy
It consists of the integral neurophysiological treatment that is carried out on the horse’s back. . The activities are carried out in accordance with medical advice and under the supervision of physiotherapists specialized in hippotherapy.
It is based on a therapeutic basis:
- Heat transfer to the patient from the horse’s body temperature.
- The horse’s rhythmic impulses.
- The three-dimensional movements of the animal.
Psychopedagogical riding
It brings together a planned set of pedagogical and psychological interventions . Its working tools consist of the horse and its environment. It is mainly indicated to improve concentration and learning problems in children and adolescents. But also to improve the independence and adaptation of people with disabilities.
social hippotherapy
It has the same basis of action as psychopedagogical riding . But the focus is therapeutically using the affective relationship established between the horse and the patient.
It is widely used to improve social inclusion and communication in cases of autism spectrum disorders. . It is also a tool in the rehabilitation of psychological trauma and/or behavior problems.
adapted riding
Invests in adapting equestrian activity as a sport for people with physical disabilities.
Occupational therapies with horses
In this mode, Hippotherapy is used as a means of labor insertion, mainly for the disabled . Equine therapy in all its modalities can only be carried out under the professional guidance specialized. Each patient must receive personalized care and treatment to choose the horse, plan the exercises and the periodicity of the sections.
