Hippotherapy

What is Hippotherapy?

The term hippotherapy refers to how occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology professionals use evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning in the purposeful manipulation of equine movement to engage sensory, neuromotor, and cognitive systems to achieve functional outcomes. In conjunction with the affordances of the equine environment and other treatment strategies, hippotherapy is part of a patient’s integrated plan of care.
(Source: American Hippotherapy Association)

At Dynamic Strides, our friendly horses are an important part of our therapy team and play a vital role in your child’s integrated plan of care.

Diagnoses or medical conditions that may benefit from equine movement:

Autism Spectrum Disorders/ASD
Chromosomal Abnormalities or Deletions
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Vascular Accident/Stroke
Developmental Disorders/Delays
Neuromuscular Disease/Dysfunction
Sensory Processing Disorder/SPD
Brain Injury
Apraxia/Dyspraxia

The benefits of Hippotherapy:

Arousal and attention
Balance strategies
Belief in one’s functional capabilities
Bilateral integration
Body awareness
Circulation
Dynamic postural stability
Endurance
Expressive and/or receptive speech and language
Midline orientation
Mobility of pelvis, spine and hip joints
Modification of muscle tonus
Motivation

Muscle strength
Musculoskeletal alignment
Neurogenic bladder
Neuromotor function
Oral-motor function
Posture
Problem-solving strategies
Respiratory function
Self-confidence
Sensorimotor integration
Symmetry and alignment
Timing and coordination of motor strategies

At Dynamic Strides, hippotherapy in our indoor arena may be included in treatment strategies for occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy.