Bowman Jessica Bowman Dr.

Susan Klein AP English III 32 November 2011 Benefits of Equine Therapy Most people view horses as only being used for pleasure or work. can do much more than that. But horses

They can holp people by improving their lives, motivating unique to anything else. That is why horses Equine therapy is

them, and giving them a getaway that is

are used for therapy, through Therapeutic Riding or Hippotherapy. beneficial both mentally and physically.

One type of equine therapy, according to the Equine Therapy Animal Assisted Therapy website, is known as therapeutic riding, which addresses people mostly with mental health or social problems. This form of therapy can be used in various therapy Thereapeutic

programs, and even in prisons or camps for inmates or rebellious teens.

riding can be used to address many problems, such as behavioral issues, depression and anxiety, low self esteem, eating disorders, ADD/ADHD, post traumatic stress, relationship problems. (Equine Therapy Animal Assisted Therapy) Therapeutic riding uses the experience of being around horses to help improve an individuals mental well-being. addition to exercise them. breathing creature. When going into therapy, patients care for the hroses in

They experience what it is like to be responsible for a living,

Patients develop many new skills to care and work with the horses.

This process takes time to develop the proper skills and it reveals to the patient in a laid-back, low-stress environment in which it is okay to make mistakes and not get it

Bowman right the first time. While attending their sessions, patients at first learn how to feed, Time is allowed for patients to spend

groom, and handle the horses in a safe manner.

free-time with their assigned horses, in effort to hopefully have a bond formed between horse and patient. Eventually, individuals get the opportunity to learn how to ride and They often are

possible participate in group events such as horse shows or games.

taught in group sessions by a riding instructor who teaches according to the groups needs. Also, therapeutic riding teaches a person about patience. Horses are very Showing the

sensitive creatures, and they tend to mirror their caretakers moods.

patients that they need to keep a positive attitude and not get frustrated, because how they react effects the horse and their overall performance. (Equine Therapy Animal Assisted Therapy) According to Kathleen Tenaglia, people who have come from a troubled home-life tend to not want to confide in an adult or even a person in general. Which When

makes therapeutic riding such a great emotional outlet--horses are the therapists. on-site, there no licensed therapists, you are required to talk to.

You have a horse that

will stand there and listen to you for no end, and sometimes everybody just needs a listener. There is nobody there pressuring you to talk about your problems. Patients

are usually allowed to go to the faculty to care or work with the horses at any reasonable hour, enjoy group lessons to develop riding skills, and talk only when they feel most comfortable to do so (Hippotherapy). According to Benda, William, Nancy H. McGibbon and Kathryn L Grant, another type of therapy used to improve physical disabilities, is referred to as Hippotherapy. Hippotherapy uses the horses movement to help the child develop muscle strength, and even stimulate the mind (817-825). Children suffering from all types of diseases or

Bowman disabilities such as autism, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, amputations, development disorders, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy, can benefit from Hippotherapy (Equine Therapy Animal Assisted Theray). The term Hippotherapy is derived from the Greek word hippos which means horse. method. As early as 460 BC horses have been known to be beneficial as a therapeutic Evolving throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States.

Until the 1960s

Hippotherapy was not an official form of therapy, until riding centers were finally developed. By 1969 the north American Riding for the Handicapped Association was

established in the United States (Hippotherapy). Kaye Marks, head of the NARHA, talks about the variety of options that the organization offers: Today NARHA represents a growing number of equine assisted therapies and activities, including recreational riding for individuals with disabilities, Hippotherapy, equine assisted psychotherapy, driving, vaulting, competition and other therapeutic and educational interactions with horses. In 1970 therapists began to develop treatment plans for patients using Hippotherapy. Although still questionable about the effectiveness of Hippotherapy, in 1987 a group of 18 American and Canadian therapists went to germany to study Hippotherapy and began development of a standardized Hippotherapy curriculum. Another large organization

supporting Hippotherapy was formed in 1992 called the American Hippotherapy Association. Currently, thousands of organizations or Hippotherapy programs are found

around the world (Hippotherapy). Melinda Kirkpatrick of Shining Hope Farms runs her own non-profit Hippotherapy program. In a recent interview with NewsChannel 36 she states, It really

Bowman has been remarkable, we have seen children diagnosed as non-verbal start communicating, we actually have seen children that were not able to walk begin walking (Kirkpatrick) In this form of therapy, the horses various movements are

used to workk the muscles of the child (Hippotherapy). Benda states that Hippotherapy shows improvements of balance, posture, and body function. Also, in their study of Hippotherapy, improvements of the patients asymmetry scores who ere diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy, were improved after numerous 8 minute sessions riding horseback with a therapist. Showing that muscle tone is developed and even righted through According to an article of Equine Therapy Animal Assisted

Hippotherapy (817-815).

Therapy the horses movements work the same muscles as the child would use if capable to walk. The effect being that the muscles are strengthened someday enabling the child Hippotherapy

to strengthen his large motor skills enough to one day walk themselves. also stimulates the patient cognitively.

The horses skin is fuzzy, the horses mane and

tail are rough, the nose is soft. Discovering senses will draw a patient out of themselves. Often, verbal communications is improved through Hippotherapy, as well Also, Hippotherapy indirectly helps a kid who is suffer from diseases The slow deliberate motion Throughout time, the

as interest levels.

similar to Aspergers or Autism learn how to concentrate.

of a horse causes a patient to concentrate on their movements.

child will have a better attention span, and learn to focus for a longer period of time. In a therapy session, the patient is riding horseback led by a hand-walker who controls the horse while the patient is doing the therapeutic activity. The ridier is also

assisted by two side-walkers who provide assistance to the patient if needed or are just their to provide support. A physical therapist is leading the lesson, having the patient do

Bowman numerous exercises to help strengthen the rider both mentally and physically. Throughout the lesson, the patient does a variety of activities. Working on hand-eye

coordination, cognitive skills, muscle strength, and over-all, giving a child an enjoyable experience. Many different types of equipment is required for a Hippotherapy session to work properly. person. For each patient, different equipment may be used to the specific need of the Kirkpatrick explains the different equipment that may be used, and what the For someone who has fairly good upper body strength and balance, a The pad provides no support, making the Another pad that

purpose is for.

therapeutic single rider pad would be used.

patients rely on their own balance, while only equipped with stirrups.

oculd be used that is fairly similar to the single rider pad is the therapeutic double rider pad. Only equipped with stirrups for the patient, a therapist or volunteer can ride on the However, these pads are only The most basic Which is most Tis

back of the pad, providing the patient with extra support.

used for small children, due to lack of comfort for the horse.

non-supportive pad that can be used is a flat surcingle/over girth.

basically a thick western pad, with a flat surcingle around it to keep it in place. provides no stirrups or support at all. coordination.

The rider has to rely on their own balance and

Then, if a child has problems with upper body strength, and requires

extreme amount of assistance to bearing their upper weight, a Bolster can be easily attached to the front of the pad. The bolster somewhat resembles a large pillow, which Another tool that can

provides the patient something to lean their upper body against.

be used for children, who only need little upper body assistance is a therapy harness and belt. This is a harness that is put on the patients back, providing handles on each side

Bowman that would allow the Hand-walkers to help support the child when needed. For the most extreme, when a

patient needs excessively great amounts of upper body stability or trunk/head control, a hippo helper can be used. The hippo helper greatly resembles the back of a couch.

Placing the cushion behind the rider, this gives the rider something to lean back on or rest their head upon. The hippo helper comes in levels depending on how tall the back is to

how much support is needed. Equine therapy can be used to improve many aspects of peoples lives. Improving physical capabilities to emotionally helping people. therapeutic option to anyone who is considering therapy. Horses are a great

Through therapeutic riding,

people who had no get-away are provided with an option to letting feelings out that might have stayed inside them otherwise. Hippotherapy is allowing people to someday Organizations providing these

hopefully walke, and having a chance for a normal life.

therapeutic methods are everywhere, reaching out to people to show the joys of what horses can do for us.

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Works Cited Benda, William, Nancy H. McGibbon and Kathryn L. Grant. Improvements in Muscle Symmetry in Children with Cerebral Palsy After Equine-Assisted Therapy (Hippotherapy). Journal of Alternative and complementary Medicine 9.6 (2003): 817-925 Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 September 2011. Equine Therapy Animal Assisted Therapy. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 November 2011 Tenaglia Kathleen, Lowell, Ma. Hippotherapy. Health Issues. N.p., 21 April 2010. Web 18 November 2011.

Marks Kaye. organization Info. NCPAD. N.p., 30 January 2009. Web. 20 November 2011. Theraeutic Riding Program. American Equestrian Alliance. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 September 2011