EQUINE THERAPY: HISTORY, TECHNIQUES, BENEFITS AND WHAT IT IS FOR - ECONOMÍA - 2025

The equine therapy or hippotherapy is an occupational, physical and speech therapy using horses as the main tool. The basic idea of ​​the treatment is that the movement of these animals can serve as a very complete motor and sensory stimulation, which would help alleviate the symptoms of certain disorders.

The improvements achieved through the use of equine therapy are primarily neurological and sensory. Therefore, this discipline is especially indicated for certain physical and intellectual disabilities, and for some psychological disorders. For example, it has been found to be quite effective in assisting paralyzed or autistic individuals.

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Although at first glance it seems an unserious discipline, its effectiveness has been proven time and again by numerous studies. Today, it is applied in a large number of countries; and it is increasingly gaining recognition within the international scientific community.

In this article you will learn what are the most important aspects of equine therapy, for what problems or disorders it is useful, and how it is usually applied. In addition, you will learn a little about its history, in order to understand how this discipline has developed.

History

In this section you will discover how the therapeutic use of horse riding has evolved over time.

First mentions

Apparently, the use of horses as a healing element has been present in our culture since ancient times. In the 5th century BC, Hippocrates, a well-known Greek physician, was already talking about the healing power that riding could have for some people with physical and mental illnesses.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the use of these animals at a medical level fell into disuse; but in the sixteenth century some primitive versions of the idea reappear.

In 1569, Merkurialis from Italy mentioned in his book "The Art of Gymnastics" the therapeutic value of horseback riding, although he did not delve too deeply into the subject.

Later, in 18th century France, a doctor named Tissot again mentioned the use of horse riding as a healing tool. This author studied the effects of this technique further, describing which were the most beneficial types of movement, as well as which ones presented certain risks.

However, it was not until the 20th century that this discipline began to be taken seriously; She did so with Liz Hartel, an Olympic medalist who won silver in horse riding in 1952 and used her newfound fame to tell the world how horseback riding had helped her recover from polio.

Discipline development

Equine therapy as it is practiced today was developed in the 1960s, when it began to be used in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria as a way to assist traditional physiotherapy.

The treatment was carried out in collaboration with a physiotherapist, a horse handler, and a horse specially trained for the task.

In 1960, hippotherapy was introduced in the United States and Canada with the formation of the Community Riding Association for the Handicapped (CARD). Later, in 1969, the North American Riding Association for the Disabled (NARHA) was created.

Finally, the introduction of this discipline on the North American continent was completed with the founding of the Cheff Center for Therapeutic Mounting for the Handicapped also in 1969 in Michigan.

Today, it is still open, being the oldest center in the United States practicing equine therapy specifically for people with disabilities.

Standardization of practice

Initially, the movements carried out by the horses were decided jointly by the physiotherapist and the trainer. However, in the 1980s a group of Canadian and American therapists traveled to Germany to learn more about this discipline and to create a standardized methodology.

The development of the discipline still took a decade to complete; It was not until 1992 when the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) was founded in the United States, which regulates the practice of this therapy and continues to advance in the study of it.

Since then, the AHA has established standards for the practice of equine therapy that are followed throughout most of the world. In addition, it has also established the educational curriculum that new hypotherapists must follow before being fully qualified to practice this discipline.

Techniques

To carry out the practice of hippotherapy correctly, it is necessary to carry out four equally important phases. If one of them is not performed properly, the results achieved will not be as desired.

These phases are the following: choosing the horse, choosing the way to use it, choosing the therapeutic positions, and correcting them.

Next we will see what each one of them consists of, and how they help when it comes to achieving the short and long-term goals that are intended to be achieved with the therapy.

Choice of horse

Since the effects of equine therapy depend on the therapist's ability to exploit the horse's potential as a healing tool, it is necessary for him to carefully examine all aspects that will intervene in the process.

Therefore, it is not only necessary that you know the patient and develop an action plan based on their needs; You will also have to choose the animal that best serves your purposes. Assisted by a trainer, you will have to choose a horse capable of performing the functions expected of it, and monitor or modify its training.

This choice will be determined by the patient's treatment plan. Some of the characteristics that must be taken into account when selecting the animal are its height and length, the width of its back, the way it walks and the level of physical training it has.

Choice of how to use the horse

The rhythmic and regular movement of the horse is the basis for creating a therapeutic effect on patients. During an equine therapy session, the previously selected horse carries the client on its back in such a way that it influences the movement of its spinal cord while it is moving.

There are several types of movement that the horse can perform, depending on what the goals of the therapy are. Which one is carried out will be determined by four factors: the speed of the step, the terrain, the incline of the step, and the direction in which the animal moves.

The walking speed can be modified by the therapist during a session. It mainly affects the horse's range of motion, and therefore the type of stimuli that are transmitted to the patient.

The surface on which the animal moves also affects the results of the session. The harder the floor, the greater the impact of the movement on the patient. Therefore, by changing the terrain it is possible to change the intensity of the therapy.

The slope of the terrain is also capable of affecting the type of stimuli that the patient receives. The horse does not move the same downhill, uphill or on level ground. It is essential that the therapist knows the effects of irregularities in the terrain on the improvement of the patient.

Finally, the direction of the step will also affect the stimuli received by the patient. A straight line will work symmetrical and regular movements, while twists increase the intensity of the therapy. It is the therapist's job to choose the configuration of these factors that best helps each client.

Choice of positions

Once the horse has been chosen and the way in which it will move, the next step is to select in which position the patient will be mounted on the animal. The horse's back is used as a kind of balance board; And depending on the client's goals, he will have to stick with it in one way or another.

There are many positions that can be used in equine therapy. Some of them are designed to provide gentle, continuous stimulation; others, on the contrary, aim to challenge the patient to improve their motor or even cognitive skills.

Correction of positions

Finally, to get the most out of each session of equine therapy, the therapist must be able to detect errors in the positions that the client adopts and correct them in some way. If this is not done, the practice can lose much of its benefits or even end up harming the person.

There are mainly three ways to correct the patient's position: through verbal instructions, using position aids (elements that force the patient to hold his body in a certain way), or simply by changing the way he is positioned on the horse in such a way. Handbook.

Benefits

Equine therapy has proven to be beneficial in treating a host of different problems. Using the movement of a horse as the main tool, it is possible to improve aspects of patients' lives such as their body control, their language, their cognitive abilities or their balance.

The basis of hippotherapy is the similarity that exists between the human pelvis and that of horses. Due to this similarity, it is possible to use the movement of the animal to provide sensory input to the patient, in such a way as to provide physical and cognitive stimulation.

The favorable effects of equine therapy on aspects such as coordination, muscle tone, postural balance, flexibility, resistance, strength, correction of abnormal movement patterns, or the way patients move have been proven in many different studies.

Typically, the benefits of hippotherapy are classified into four groups: core connection, sensory connection, communication, and creating neural connections.

However, there are other areas that can improve with this technique, such as cognitive, social, learning or the development of adaptive behaviors.

Specific changes achieved with hippotherapy

Normalization of muscle tone

The rhythmic movement of the horse's back and the heat of its body positively affect the muscle tone of the patient when he has problems such as hypertonia, hypotonia or spasticity.

Movement differentiation

The three-dimensional movement of the horse and the similarity of its steps to human movements encourages the activation of brain areas that help the person to walk correctly.

Improved motor control and body perception

The correct interpretation of sensory inputs is necessary to adequately control movement. The horse and its movement offer tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular, visual, auditory and emotional stimuli. This helps patients to be more aware of their own body and sensations.

Improved balance and coordination

Some of the postures used in hippotherapy challenge patients and their sense of balance. By using them, great improvement can be achieved in this area, which can especially help people with problems maintaining correct posture or moving properly.

Improved empathy and social interactions

As in animal-assisted therapies, the use of horses can be very beneficial for patients who have emotional problems to relate to other individuals.

In this sense, for example, people with an autism spectrum disorder tend to come out of hippotherapy very strengthened.

What is it suitable for?

Equine therapy has proven to be very helpful in helping with the treatment of all kinds of conditions, diseases, and disorders. Some of its benefits are especially useful for physical problems, while others help more when the difficulties are essentially psychological.

On a physical level, equine therapy can be used to assist in the recovery of cases of stroke or stroke, improve the living conditions of cerebral palsies, or alleviate symptoms such as stiffness of movements, spasms or seizures present in all kinds of different disorders.

Regarding its psychological benefits, these make hippotherapy also very useful for conditions such as autism or Asperger's syndrome, but also for problems such as learning difficulties, delays in cognitive development, or even disorders such as depression or anxiety.

References

1. “History of Hippotherapy and AHA Inc” at: AHA Inc. Retrieved on: 05 November 2018 from AHA Inc: americanhippotherapyassociation.org.
2. What is hippotherapy? The indications and effectiveness of hippotherapy ”in: National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved on: November 05, 2018 from the National Center for Biotechnology Information: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
3. "What is hippotherapy?" in: Parents. Retrieved on: November 05, 2018 from Parents: parents.com.
4. "Hippotherapy techniques" in: Education in Hippotherapy. Retrieved on: November 05, 2018 from Education in Hippotherapy: educationinhippotherapy.com.
5. "Equine - assisted therapy" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: November 05, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.