Hippotherapy
What’s in a name? “Hippo” is the Greek term for horse, so hippotherapy is our evidence-based therapy program where kids get to interact with our amazing team of horses. Hippotherapy can address goals across physical, occupational, and speech therapy—improving balance and coordination, enhancing sensory integration, and even boosting self-confidence.
Hippotherapy enhances traditional therapy by allowing children to experience a special connection—sensory, emotional, and physical—with their horse and the environment that surrounds them as they work toward their goals.
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.
Hippotherapy FAQ
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Hippotherapy specifically uses the movement of the horse as a treatment tool. This movement nearly matches the movement of the pelvis during human walking and as such provides excellent input to the nervous, sensory and musculoskeletal systems.
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Hippotherapy is commonly used for individuals with physical disabilities, however the sensory input it provides can be beneficial for individuals with neurological disorders or those with sensory processing concerns.
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The movement of a horse’s pelvis imparts the same movement pattern onto a rider as one experiences while walking. Laying activities on top of this movement requires engagement of multiple systems in a setting that participants rarely view as therapy because it can be so fun.
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Patients will be asked to put on a helmet and a safety harness or gait belt to facilitate sidewalker support. They will enter the arena and wait at the mounting ramp for their horse to be ready.
Once they mount the horse, they will walk and sometimes trot in the arena while adding different movements, games and activities. Sessions will last between 15 and 45 minutes, allowing time for mounting, dismounting and washing up afterwards.
DST provides helmets and harnesses but clients are welcomed to bring their own ASTM-SEI Certified equestrian helmet with them.
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Horses can typically carry 20% of their body weight safely, and our therapists and volunteers must be able to safely support clients during sessions. These two factors can limit what size of client we can safely mount and dismount.
We build a margin of error for the lack of body awareness and unique positions some of our participants end up in while mounted.
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Hippotherapy is not a separate billable therapy, rather it is a tool utilized by the therapist, just like a swing or set of weights would be. If therapy is covered, then hippotherapy at DST is covered.
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Each of our hippotherapy therapists is trained by the American Hippotherapy Association.
The American Hippotherapy Association provides training courses for PTs, OTs and SLPs who want to utilize hippotherapy as a treatment modality. Their recommended program includes completion of two courses with them, accumulation of treatment hours and then sitting for a board credential or certification.
Equine Team
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Grace Barnes
Equine Manager
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Sophie Allred
Volunteer Coordinator & Equine Assistant