Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR) is a therapeutic program
that provides equine assisted activities for individuals with disabilities in
order to improve their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. This is done
through an adaptive riding program that focuses not only on riding skills but
also on the development of a relationship between the horse and rider. The
program can include work both on the ground such as grooming, leading, or
directing a horse, and activities on horseback.
Therapeutic riding activities are conducted by certified
therapeutic riding instructors in conjunction with trained volunteers. During
riding activities a new rider or an individual with physical limitations is
generality assisted by two side-walkers who walk alongside the horse, as well
as a horse leader. These individuals are volunteers that have been trained to
assist the instructor in the conduct of the therapeutic program.
Therapeutic riding differs from hippo-therapy, one form of
equine assisted therapy, in that in hippo-therapy a physical or occupational
therapist uses only the movement of the horse to improve an individual's
sensory and motor skills. The therapist does not teach riding skills or seek to
develop a relationship between the horse and rider. The primary goal of
hippo-therapy is to improve the individual's balance, posture, function, and
mobility. Therapeutic riding is a broader program of therapy that can include
multiple therapeutic elements simultaneously.
Therapeutic riding combines the physical aspect of riding in
improving balance, posture and mobility and adds the mental, emotional and
cognitive skills required to ride a horse and develop a positive working
relationship with the horse. This expansion of therapy beyond just the physical
aspects involved in riding a horse can improve an individual's emotional
control, behavioral self-regulation and cognitive functioning and help them
function more productively and effectively in society.
Therapeutic riding centers and their instructors are
certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship
International and therapy is conducted as part of an overall treatment plan
developed in conjunction with a medical health professional. Safety is a
paramount concern and therapeutic riding is not appropriate for individuals
with certain disabilities. Instructors work with the health care provider to
plan for the individual's needs, appropriate supervision, and ensure rider
safety.
There are a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional
disabilities that can benefit from the use of therapeutic riding. Some of the
many individuals who research has proven can benefit from therapeutic horseback
riding include those with attention deficit disorder, autism, amputations,
brain injuries, stroke, cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, multiple sclerosis,
spinal cord injuries, and a wide variety of emotional, cognitive, or mental
disabilities.
For those with physical limitations experiencing the
rhythmic motion of a horse can be very beneficial to improve muscle function
and control. Riding a horse moves the rider's body in a manner similar to the
human gait, so riders with physical needs often show improvement in
flexibility, balance and muscle strength. For individuals with mental and
emotional challenges, the unique relationship formed with the horse can lead to
increased confidence, patience and self-esteem
There have been numerous studies that have shown evidence of
the benefits of therapeutic riding. Individuals with cognitive disabilities
such as autism or Downs Syndrome have shown demonstrated benefits from THR.
Bass, Duchowny, and Llabre (2008) found that children with autism who
participated in a therapeutic horseback riding program improved in sensory
integration and directed attention as compared to the control group. While
Biery and Kaufman (1989) showed that significant improvement was seen on
standing and quadruped balance after the therapeutic riding program for
individuals with Downs Syndrome
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