Hippotherapy Intervention Paper

Speech, language and communication difficulties can have a profound and lasting effect on children’s lives and development. These can affect their ability to communicate and interact with others. The impact of these difficulties will vary depending on the severity of the problems, the support they receive, the demands of the child’s environment

How do children’s needs change as they grow through development stages from infancy to teen years? How do special needs children differ?

Children afflicted with illnesses or diseases that require treatment including multiple sclerosis, sports injuries, birth defects such as spina bifida, head injuries and developmental delays. Infants and toddlers can also be afflicted with swallowing or speech delays, which a speech therapist specialized in pediatrics, would be available for treatment. On the other end of the spectrum, patients in the latter years of their life can begin to have issues with their balance and muscle strength. Elderly patients with Parkinson’s disease benefit from all discipline programs such as the Big and Loud program which teaches them how to regain control over their movements improve muscle control and increase their balance.

The Ismael Pinto Association of Equine Therapy in Madrid summarizes principles and concepts relating to how equine therapy is beneficial. Horses transmit heat and rhythmic pulses from within their lumbar and ventral muscles that conduct

Different disabilities may affect development in different ways. However, with support from teachers and parents, these affects can be minimalised. A learning disability such as Dyslexia (a common type of learning difficulty that can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling) could lead to a child becoming frustrated which could further lead to behavioural issues. Moreover, without assistance, Dyslexia will allow for the child to become unmotivated and prove to be a hindrance to them as they look to strive in later life. Physical disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy (a neurological condition that effects movement and coordination) will affect development as children will have difficulties communicating, eating and drinking and with their

“ Therapeutic riding horses also help increase a person’s self-esteem (Nichols 4).” Recreational riding- are people riding a horse that has a trained or certified therapeutic riding instructor (Scott 8). There are so many different hazards when interacting with horses vs. riding horses. Horseback riding is the most dangerous recreational sport. Horseback riding is popular with the therapeutic riding program (Hausberger 5). Horseback riding also helps people with disabilities by improving their balance and coordination (Nichols 11). To make horseback riding more exciting they make up games and activities for the lesson. The client will have to come in for an orientation that way the horse leader can determine which equine therapy the client needs. Most clients that do horseback riding or equine therapy do not like the change of a horse or any change at all. “Hippotherapy” is treatment with help of a horse. Hippotherapy help with both the children and adults with mild Neromusclarskeletsal Dysfunction. Hippotherapy helps improve the functional limitations (Scott 15-16). “ Some horses are trained for vaulting.” Vaulting is a type of therapy, in which the riders stand, kneel, sit, or even lay down while the horse is moving.” Humans get more of a connection while caring for the horse than you can horseback riding (Hayes 9). You are around the horse with content daily which was a great impact on the human and horse interaction (Hausberger 1-2). To do an educational benefit, they play a game with the clients. The client in the book pulls leaves while riding the horse to twist and stretch (Scott 6-7). Miscommunication with the rider and the horse have more consequences with the relationship. The most complex for the rider is to remain calm, alert, and positive at all times through the horse ride. The riders need to have their body and mind in the state of equilibrium state

These therapist collaborate with the child, the parents, and other professionals to identify and meet the needs of the child experiencing delays or developmental challenges. It is the occupational therapist’s responsibilities to identify and modify barriers that restrict or inhibit functional performance. Another role they play in is being the one to extend therapeutic interventions by helping the caregivers learn how to properly help the child with daily life tasks. The therapist will show the family adapting activities, materials, and environmental conditions so the child can participate under different conditions and in various locations. (More, "The Role of Occupational Therapy With Children and Youth.")

During a hippotherapy session, individuals work to improve their physical capabilities. While walking, the horse's body position changes periodically, allowing

Helen Thompson once wrote, “In riding a horse we borrow freedom.”[3] People have always been astounded by the magnificence of horses. They were always seen as majestic, free, strong, and loyal. It was at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 that Liz Hartel admitted that riding a horse helped her recover from polio. Soon after her speech, in the 1960s, therapeutic riding centers were created in Europe, Canada, and the United States. It was also during the 1960s, that the horse was used as an adjunct to physical therapy in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria; and the practice was named hippotherapy. This concept quickly made its way to the United States, and the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) was created in 1969. Thereafter,

Throughout my teenage years I participated in many volunteer activities in my community. I worked with several volunteer programs at my church, including serving as an assistant teacher for the English as Second Language group, feeding and socializing with residents during the hypothermia housing for the homeless, and packaging and delivering food for the FACETS food assistance program. However, the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program was my favorite by far because it combined the two things that I loved, horses and therapy, to help people grow and learn. The therapeutic riding program used “Hippotherapy”, instructed by a physical therapist to help physically and cognitively impaired children and young adults with disabilities such

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, the scope of physical therapy includes the prevention or minimization of problems caused by conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, or integumentary systems (APTA, 2016). One of the less conventional physical therapy treatment options is hippotherapy, also called equine-assisted therapy. Hippotherapy, as defined by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International, is the use of the motion of a horse as a treatment strategy by occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech language pathologists to address problems in patients with neuro-motor and sensory dysfunctions (PATHI, 2016). Although not a commonly known therapy,

Amber Wiley an Equine psychotherapeutic wrote that Hippotherapy and Therapeutic Riding began in 1960 when Liz Hartel created a therapy for people with special needs under the instruction of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association(NARHA). A new kind of therapy had been introduced to the United States which would result with an important impact on patients. In the article introduction to hippotherapy written by Joann Benjamin a physical therapist. Hippotherapy is defined as a treatment using the help of a horse. Moreover, the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) defines hippotherapy as “a term that refers to the use of the movement of a horse as a strategy by Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Speech-Language Pathologists..)’’.The main idea is that horse therapy is a treatment given by a horse where flexibility, muscles strength, coordination, balance, and better speech are produced on the patient through the

Hippotherapy is a modern physiotherapy treatment for improving gross motor skills (walking, standing, sitting, etc.), balance, and strength in cerebral palsy children. While child sat on the horse therapist teaches various exercises to the child based on types of impairment. Simultaneously therapist needs to monitor and control the horse while the child is riding horseback. Park et al (2014) State that hippotherapy has a positive effect in gross motor function and reduces muscle tone in children with cerebral palsy.Similarly; Hydrotherapy intervention for children provides functional skills, mobility and reduces spasticity. The main benefit of aquatic therapy is diminishing the hypertonicity in spastic children. The mechanism of hydrotherapy is under some neurological change in nerve fiber activity as the child exposes in warm water. As

Hippotherapy is a specialty area in therapy with the goal of multipurpose rehabilitation, developed to treat organ movement by sustaining pathological reflexes and physiological ones, such as walking, correcting muscle movement, and increasing social interaction amongst the physically/mentally ill. Hippotherapy comes from the Greek word “Hippokrates” which translated means “horse power”, a 5th Century Greek doctor and Father of Medicine of the same name, Hippocrates, was the first to mention riding horses in medical treatment. As the idea evolved and was further researched an Italian man, Mercurialis, mentioned horses and riding as beneficial to one's’ health in his work “The Art of

The Hip replacement surgery was done by Pasquale Petrera, M.D. of the Peninsula Orthapaedic Association. This is a surgery were the head of the femur and hip receives new caps to help the patient’s mobility and allow them to stay active. It relieves the pain of many people who have arthritis in their hip. The doctor tries to go as long as possible with the patient’s natural hip before they have to do the surgery. Eventually, the patient’s arthritis is so bad that they can’t walk or sleep because the pain is so bad. The doctor then knows that he/she has to do the surgery.