Research

For centuries, the value of horses was known to farming and working communities, but it was not until very recently in history that people began to see the value of a horse for the disabled and mentally handicapped. Hippotherapy, as defined by Barbara Smith, is “the use of the horse as a medical treatment strategy and not as a method to teach riding.” Dozens of studies show the effectiveness or non-effectiveness of this specialized therapy for certain disorders. The horse provides a stepping stone to well-being for people with debilitating illnesses that otherwise could not achieve optimal wellness through conventional therapies.

Dating back to ancient Greece, hippotherapy has been used as an emotional, physical, and mental therapy for soldiers, disabled people, and the ill to stimulate muscles and boost healthy hormones. Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing (Leadbetter), believed that horses could cure humans; and Hippocrates believed riding was beneficial for lungs and muscles (" A very brief history of therapeutic ridding & hippotherapy"). A student of Socrates, Xenophon, used horses to cure soldiers; In De Re Equestri, he explained the benefits of horsemanship, along with other formally written information about buying and training a horse (“Xenophon”). The ancient Greeks in 400 B.C.E. often prescribed therapeutic riding, independent exercises similar to hippotherapy, to improve mental and physical well-being (Snider). In post-WWII Europe, therapy with horses was often used to address mental, physical, and emotional issues for veterans. A few years after the end of WWII, a phenomenal performance at the Olympics proved horses to be of an extreme value to the impaired.

The 1952 Olympics in Helsinki was a stepping...

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..., because of the constant motion, Aetna states that it can reduce spasticity and improve range of motion in the upper extremities. Most horses spend 2-3 years in training to become a therapy horse, as they cannot compromise the rider’s health by misbehaving or spooking. Essentially, the goal of a therapy horse trainer is to “bomb-proof” the horse. One therapy session can cost upwards of $150, and are used as a weekly supplement for occupational and physical therapy. Compared to the many other blanket therapies, hippotherapy provides an exponential boost to the client’s abilities.

The factor of the horse’s rhythmical gait can most times help the rider achieve their goals to be able to do every-day activities. Bettie B. Borton, AUD states that it is “worth considering as an alternative setting for the provision of speech-language remediation.” Therefore, hippotherapy