Hippotherapy as part of Physical Therapy Treatment
As stated by the AHA (American Hippotherapy Association), Hippotherapy occurs when “occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology professionals use evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning in the purposeful manipulation of equine movement as a therapy tool to engage sensory, neuromotor and cognitive systems to promote functional outcomes.”[1]
It is a strategy or tool to incorporate within traditional PT, OT, or Speech treatment; it is not a standalone treatment. It is beneficial to both pediatric and adult patients. In pediatric patients, hippotherapy can be used to help treat traumatic brain injuries, incomplete spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, stroke, spina bifida, down syndrome, developmental delays, muscular dystrophy, and more.[2]
Hippotherapy involves cooperation from the therapist, horse handlers, and even volunteers. It is even possible to cotreat during hippotherapy. Regardless of how hippotherapy is conducted, it will not be just the therapist and child; it will be an operation calling for teamwork.
How Hippotherapy Works as Part of Treatment
According to the AHA[3] : “The average horse walks at a rate of approximately 100 steps per minute. Just 5 minutes on a walking horse represents 500 neuro-motor inputs to the patient. In a typical therapy session, 15 to 25 minutes of equine movement may be incorporated by the treating therapist—which represents 1500 to 2500 neuromotor inputs to the patient.”
The horse's movements are manipulated by the handler. Since a horse’s movements are similar to those of humans, a child will begin to feel how to walk and move through space. The handler also manipulates the horse to elicit a balance reaction from the child. The pelvis will move in a similar manner to how a pelvis moves when walking. This three-dimensional movement (forward and backward, side to side, and rotational movement), begins to teach the child’s body how to function while walking by building balance, strength, visual-motor integration, and muscle coordination.[4]
Hippotherapy is more than just sitting on a horse. A back pad is often utilized instead of a saddle to enhance the feeling of the horse’s movement. A child can lie on their back or chest, sit sideways, forwards, or backward, or the child can even kneel on the horse.
Therapeutic Riding vs. Hippotherapy
The AHA makes a distinction between therapeutic riding and hippotherapy. They do not acknowledge the terms “equine therapy” or “horse therapy” since hippotherapy is a strategy used within the realms of OT, PT, and Speech therapy. However, there are a lot of places that do use these terms when describing their services. This does not mean that they provide Hippotherapy, although they may be a facility that can handle the requirements of hippotherapy and are willing to work with a therapist. In this case, it is the therapists responsibility to reach out to the facility and inquire whether they would be willing to assist with hippotherapy instruction.
Training and Programs in Ohio
To be able to provide hippotherapy, a therapist has to be certified by the American Hippotherapy Certification Board by obtaining a certificate that they are AHCB Hippotherapy Certified, or are a HPCS Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist.
For more information on this, visit The AHA curriculum overview.
The following links are to facilities in Ohio that offer Hippotherapy or have facilities that are equipped for hippotherapy:
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1. “What is Hippotherapy,” American Hippotherapy Association, accessed 11 November 2022, https://www.americanhippotherapyassociation.org/what-is-hippotherapy
2. Wojciechowski, Michele. “Purposeful Horseplay,” PT in Motion. 1 March 2019, https://www.apta.org/apta-magazine/2019/03/01/purposeful-horseplay.
3. “What is Hippotherapy,” American Hippotherapy Association, accessed 11 November 2022, https://www.americanhippotherapyassociation.org/what-is-hippotherapy
4. Shaw, Rachel. “What is Hippotherapy and How Can It Help Children With Special Needs?” Leckey, 28 September 2021, https://www.leckey.com/blog/2021/september/what-is-hippotherapy-and-how-can-it-help-children-with-special-needs.
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Shaw, Rachel. “What is Hippotherapy and How Can It Help Children With Special Needs?” Leckey, 28 September 2021, https://www.leckey.com/blog/2021/september/what-is-hippotherapy-and-how-can-it-help-children-with-special-needs.
“What is Hippotherapy,” American Hippotherapy Association, accessed 11 November 2022, https://www.americanhippotherapyassociation.org/what-is-hippotherapy
Wojciechowski, Michele. “Purposeful Horseplay,” PT in Motion. 1 March 2019, https://www.apta.org/apta-magazine/2019/03/01/purposeful-horseplay.