Hippotherapy and benefits for children with special needs

Hippotherapy and the Benefits to Special Needs Children

Hippotherapy is utilized by physical, occupational and speech pathologist in therapy for children. This treatment therapy has been found to be effective in increasing circulation, relaxing tight muscles, strengthening weak muscles, developing balance, improving coordination, improving posture and increasing vocalization of special needs children. The work of McGraw (2007) entitled: "More Than Just Horseplay" states that Hippotherapy has been used in Europe for approximately 40 years however, it only began to be used in the United States in the past thirty years. Hippotherapy has been used "as a treatment tool by physical and occupational therapist for well over 30 years. Hippo is a Greek word meaning horse." (Gonzalez, nd) Hippotherapy involves the therapist using the "movement of the horse to improve balance, coordination, strengthen postural muscles and targets deficits such as one side weakness." (Gonzalez, nd) the benefit of Hippotherapy for special needs children is clear and includes physical benefits as well as cognitive and social-emotional benefits. The child is not only enabled in their physical activities, but as well advance in cognition and on a social-emotional level due to having engaged in Hippotherapy. It is like that Hippotherapy will gain in use as a therapeutic tool in the future.

HIPPOTHERAPY and the BENEFITS to SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN

INTRODUCTION

Hippotherapy is utilized by physical, occupational and speech pathologist in therapy for children. This treatment therapy has been found to be effective in increasing circulation, relaxing tight muscles, strengthening weak muscles, developing balance, improving coordination, improving posture and increasing vocalization of special needs children. The work of McGraw (2007) entitled: "More Than Just Horseplay" states that Hippotherapy has been used in Europe for approximately 40 years however, it only began to be used in the United States in the past thirty years.

Hippotherapy has been used "as a treatment tool by physical and occupational therapist for well over 30 years. Hippo is a Greek word meaning horse." (Gonzalez, nd) Hippotherapy involves the therapist using the "movement of the horse to improve balance, coordination, strengthen postural muscles and targets deficits such as one side weakness." (Gonzalez, nd) the typical session is one-half an hour to one hour in length. (Gonzalez, nd) the child rides on a bareback pad equipped with a single handle, or surcingle and the "child often assumes forward, backward and side sitting, quadrupled, tall kneeling and standing in the stirrups. Many activities are geared towards weight bearing to influence tone and strengthen muscles." (Gonzalez, nd)

I. CAUSE and EFFECTS

The work of Denton (2006) entitled: "Special Needs, Special Horses: A Guide to the Benefits of Therapeutic Riding" states Equine-assisted activities (EAA) is the term preferred by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) for interactions between people with special needs and horses, whether the individual is mounted on the horse or standing on the ground." (2006) There are various types of treatment available that involve the use of horses which include: (1) hippotherapy; (2) equine-facilitated psychotherapy, (3) equine-facilitated experiential learning, and (4) recreational riding. (Denton, 2006)

According to Denton (2006) Hippotherapy uses the horse's movement as a treatment tool to improve neuromuscular function in the rider. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language therapists who have received training in the principles of hippotherapy administer this treatment. Equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) is a form of experiential psychotherapy that is administered by mental health professionals. People with psychosocial and mental health issues, according to the author, benefit from this therapy. Equine-facilitated psychotherapy denotes an ongoing therapeutic relationship with established treatment goals developed by the therapist with the client. It promotes personal exploration of feelings and behaviors, and allows for clinical interpretation. Equine-facilitated experiential learning (EFEL) complements EFP." (Denton, 2006)

The work of Naomi Scott entitled: "Special Needs, Special Horses" relates that results showing improvement are known to occur by the second session of Hippotherapy. In fact, a case study is related of a young boy with cerebral palsy who gained "an immediate improvement in balance" from Hippotherapy." (2006) in three years time, the child had progressed from being unable to walk or sit up straight without aid to sitting "more erect, without holding on..." And talking "with a walker or holding someone's hands." (Scott, 2006) the benefits to the child were not only physical but were also related to cognitive development as following the second session the child while sitting on his shower stool upon beginning to sway grabbed hold of the shower seat and informed his mother "I hold on." (Scott, 2006)

This is important because as explained by Scott (2006) during the therapy session the child is given reins to hold and while the child is not actually controlling the horse, the child believes that they are in control of the horse and the theoretical framework upon which the use of Hippotherapy as a therapeutic tool is that "making a huge magnificent animal do his bidding gives the rider a feeling of control which may be lacking in other aspects of his life." (Scott, 2006)

II. INDICATIONS & IMPLICATIONS

The study reported by Scott (2006) clearly indicated that the benefits of Hippotherapy are related to physical, cognitive, and social-emotional benefits. For example, the young boy sitting on the shower seat and stating he would hold on indicated that he understood that he could not balance on his own but that he could however, by holding on establish a sense of balance enabling him to sit without support and without falling off of the shower stool.

The implications are clear that Hippotherapy provides not only physical benefits but as well provide cognitive learning benefits. Finally, the benefits are clearly social-emotional in nature because this young child who was enabled to walk through Hippotherapy is sure to have a much healthier and active social-emotional experience than were he still unable to walk or sit without support. Furthermore, the sense of self-confidence that the child gains in their feeling of being in control of the horse results in empowering the child and drives the improvement of the child's physical abilities.

III. STRATEGIES and INTERVENTION

The Horse & Human Research Foundation reported in its 2008 Edition #1 entitled: "Benefits of Hippotherapy Proven by Washington University Research Team" that a breakthrough study on the therapeutic impact of equine therapy for children with cerebral palsy" stated findings that hippotherapy "...the use of the rhythmic movement of a horse to effect therapeutic gains, improves both head and trunk stability and upper extremity function in children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy." (H & H. Research Foundation, 2008)