Articles and Research on Hippotherapy and Therapeutic Riding: The American Hippotherapy Association has available on its website a bibliography of research articles published in juried publications. Benda, McGibbon and Grant (2003) performed a study that took fifteen children with spastic cerebral palsy and tested muscle symmetry before and after either participating in eight minutes of hippotherapy or sitting astride a stationary barrel for eight minutes. Their study concluded that significant improvement in the most affected muscles groups was noted for the children who participated in the Hippotherapy but not for the children who simply stretched over a barrel. Improvements in Muscle Symmetry in Children with Cerebral Palsy after Equine-Assisted Therapy (Hippotherapy). The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 9(6):817-825. Cherng, Liao, Leung and Hwang (2004) in their study concluded that children with spastic cerebral palsy who participated in a sixteen-week session of therapeutic riding while also receiving traditional therapy treatment demonstrated significant improvements in gross motor function over those children who only received traditional therapy treatment over the same period of time. In addition, the children who participated in therapeutic riding also sustained the improvements for a minimum of sixteen weeks. The Effectiveness of Therapeutic Horseback Riding in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly 21:103-121. In a study by McGibbon, Andrade, Widener, and Cintas (1998), they found that children with spastic cerebral palsy who participated in eight weeks of hippotherapy demonstrated a |
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significant decrease in energy expenditure during ambulation and a significant increase in
gross motor function.
Effect of an Equine Movement Therapy Program on Gait, Energy Expenditure, and Motor Function in
Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology,40:
754-762.
Myra Haskin, M.D., Jennifer A. Bream, L.P.T. and William Erdman II, M.D. (1981) wrote a special
report and completed a case study on a child with cerebral palsy who was receiving services at
the Thorncroft Equestrian Complex located at The University of Pennsylvania Physical Medicine
Department. This facility has provided hippotherapy services since 1971. Therapists
incorporated the treatment principles of Rood, Bobath (NDT) and proprioceptive neuromuscular
facilitation (PNF). The case study looked at a child with cerebral palsy who had been receiving
hippotherapy weekly from age two to her current age of five. Hippotherapy was part of an
integrated therapy program including aquatic therapy, speech therapy and traditional physical
therapy. They found that “improvements as a result of this program have been back and neck
strengthening; the patient is able to sit up longer, has better balance, and less spasticity in the
lower extremities.” She also enjoyed her therapy sessions and went on to compete in horse
shows.
The Pennsylvania Horseback Riding Program for Cerebral Palsy. American Journal of Physical
Medicine 61(3); 141-144.
Quint and Toomey (1998) used a matched pair design research study in which they took thirteen
children with cerebral palsy and subjected them to a total of 100 minutes of passive pelvic
antero-posterior tilt and another thirteen children with cerebral palsy and sat them for the same
time astride a static saddle. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in pelvic mobility
for those children that were subjected to the movement of a horse at walk.
An Investigation in the Effects on Pelvic Mobility of Children with Cerebral Palsy of a Powered
Saddle which Imitates the Movements of a Walking Horse. Physiotherapy 84(8):376-384.
Lynn Wingate (1981) completed a study on a pilot program she developed for seven children
with various types of cerebral palsy. This program provided two hours per week of therapeutic
riding for five weeks in addition to a parent support group. At the end of the program more than
half of the family members reported observations of improvement in “posture, less falling when
walking, improved sitting posture, (improved ADL’s), improved head control, some decrease in
lower extremity hypertonus, and improved gait.”
Feasibility of Horseback Riding as a Therapeutic and Integrative Program for Handicapped Children.
Physical Therapy 62(2):184-186.
Liberatore (2005) performed an exploratory analysis of adult hippotherapy clients and
parents/guardians of pediatric hippotherapy clients in order to better understand the rationale
behind this alternative therapy. She discovered that for some clients “undeniable, visible
improvements in their medical conditions” were achieved. For other clients whose progress
was slow even with more traditional therapy, she noted that clients did not view this type of
therapy as therapy and believed it offered a motivation that rivaled more traditional therapy.
Rationale of Hippotherapy Use among Equine Facilitated Therapy Participants. Journal of
Undergraduate Research 7(2):1-7.
Bertoti (1988) performed a study in which eleven children with moderate to severe spastic
cerebral palsy were evaluated for improvement in posture over a period of ten weeks of no
riding. No significant improvements were found. The study then evaluated these same children
after a period of ten weeks of therapeutic riding where they demonstrated significant
improvement in posture. Subjective clinical improvements in quality of muscle tone, balance
and weight bearing abilities were also noted.
Effect of Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Posture in Children with Cerebral Palsy. Physical
Therapy 68(10):1505-1512.
Keren, Reznik and Groswasser (2001) completed a case study on a twenty-two year old male who
suffered a severe traumatic brain injury resulting in impairments of motor control,
communication, cognition and social behavior. His comprehensive treatment included use of
orthoses, biofeedback, aquatic therapy, hippotherapy, medication and nerve blocking. After
three years he can stand up and walk unaided, drink soup, play a few notes on the piano and
cognitive improvements were noted.Combined Motor Disturbances following Severe Traumatic
Brain Injury: An Integrative Long-Term Treatment Approach. Brain Injury 15(7):633-638.
gross motor function.
Effect of an Equine Movement Therapy Program on Gait, Energy Expenditure, and Motor Function in
Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology,40:
754-762.
Myra Haskin, M.D., Jennifer A. Bream, L.P.T. and William Erdman II, M.D. (1981) wrote a special
report and completed a case study on a child with cerebral palsy who was receiving services at
the Thorncroft Equestrian Complex located at The University of Pennsylvania Physical Medicine
Department. This facility has provided hippotherapy services since 1971. Therapists
incorporated the treatment principles of Rood, Bobath (NDT) and proprioceptive neuromuscular
facilitation (PNF). The case study looked at a child with cerebral palsy who had been receiving
hippotherapy weekly from age two to her current age of five. Hippotherapy was part of an
integrated therapy program including aquatic therapy, speech therapy and traditional physical
therapy. They found that “improvements as a result of this program have been back and neck
strengthening; the patient is able to sit up longer, has better balance, and less spasticity in the
lower extremities.” She also enjoyed her therapy sessions and went on to compete in horse
shows.
The Pennsylvania Horseback Riding Program for Cerebral Palsy. American Journal of Physical
Medicine 61(3); 141-144.
Quint and Toomey (1998) used a matched pair design research study in which they took thirteen
children with cerebral palsy and subjected them to a total of 100 minutes of passive pelvic
antero-posterior tilt and another thirteen children with cerebral palsy and sat them for the same
time astride a static saddle. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in pelvic mobility
for those children that were subjected to the movement of a horse at walk.
An Investigation in the Effects on Pelvic Mobility of Children with Cerebral Palsy of a Powered
Saddle which Imitates the Movements of a Walking Horse. Physiotherapy 84(8):376-384.
Lynn Wingate (1981) completed a study on a pilot program she developed for seven children
with various types of cerebral palsy. This program provided two hours per week of therapeutic
riding for five weeks in addition to a parent support group. At the end of the program more than
half of the family members reported observations of improvement in “posture, less falling when
walking, improved sitting posture, (improved ADL’s), improved head control, some decrease in
lower extremity hypertonus, and improved gait.”
Feasibility of Horseback Riding as a Therapeutic and Integrative Program for Handicapped Children.
Physical Therapy 62(2):184-186.
Liberatore (2005) performed an exploratory analysis of adult hippotherapy clients and
parents/guardians of pediatric hippotherapy clients in order to better understand the rationale
behind this alternative therapy. She discovered that for some clients “undeniable, visible
improvements in their medical conditions” were achieved. For other clients whose progress
was slow even with more traditional therapy, she noted that clients did not view this type of
therapy as therapy and believed it offered a motivation that rivaled more traditional therapy.
Rationale of Hippotherapy Use among Equine Facilitated Therapy Participants. Journal of
Undergraduate Research 7(2):1-7.
Bertoti (1988) performed a study in which eleven children with moderate to severe spastic
cerebral palsy were evaluated for improvement in posture over a period of ten weeks of no
riding. No significant improvements were found. The study then evaluated these same children
after a period of ten weeks of therapeutic riding where they demonstrated significant
improvement in posture. Subjective clinical improvements in quality of muscle tone, balance
and weight bearing abilities were also noted.
Effect of Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Posture in Children with Cerebral Palsy. Physical
Therapy 68(10):1505-1512.
Keren, Reznik and Groswasser (2001) completed a case study on a twenty-two year old male who
suffered a severe traumatic brain injury resulting in impairments of motor control,
communication, cognition and social behavior. His comprehensive treatment included use of
orthoses, biofeedback, aquatic therapy, hippotherapy, medication and nerve blocking. After
three years he can stand up and walk unaided, drink soup, play a few notes on the piano and
cognitive improvements were noted.Combined Motor Disturbances following Severe Traumatic
Brain Injury: An Integrative Long-Term Treatment Approach. Brain Injury 15(7):633-638.
Recently there have been many local articles published on the subject of Hippotherapy and therapeutic riding including the
August 23rd edition of the Atlanta Journal Constitution--
Atlanta Journal and Constitution- 5/1/05 Teen starts benefit for riding program-Teen does fundraising with a 5K to raise
funds for Chastain's therapeutic riding/hippotherapy program.
Star-Ledger New Jersey- 6/27/04 Special Kids get ride of their lives
Advance for Occupational Therapy Practioners Magazine-9/20/04
On Their High Horse -Riding center celebrates third year of partnership with Rusk Institute in Mahattan
Atlanta Journal and Constitution- 3/11/04
A path to healing-Kids with special needs find balance, learn to connect with world on horseback
Atlanta Journal and Constitution- 8/23/04
Horse Happy-Children with special needs get a lift from four footed friends and young volunteers at farms
Sporting Kid Magazine Back to school edition 04
Horsin' Around the neighborhood-think horses are only for country folk and rich people? Whoa there neighbor, think again!
Points North 9/04
Happy Trails-Hippotherapy leads special needs children down the road to recovery
Inside MS magazine
When you can't do the sport you loved
In a recent article in MCG-Today by Ellen Gladden entitled “Hippotherapy Optimizes Abilities of Special-Needs Children”, Dr.
Paige Ward, a pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia, reported on how
participating in a hippotherapy program has helped her child with “sensory integration problems”. She also reported that it
has helped his posture, spasticity, stiffness, trunk control and tone.
A recent article in the Seattle Times entitled “Horse Therapy Helps Children with Disabilities” reported on a Dr. Stephen
Glass, child neurologist, who has been prescribing hippotherapy for more than twenty years as a supplement to traditional
therapy. He spoke about its benefit for children with balance, motor skill and proprioceptive deficits
Finding Faith, Inc.
Your donations can help pay for equipment and therapeutic
intervention for special needs children.
Click here for more information.
Your donations can help pay for equipment and therapeutic
intervention for special needs children.
Click here for more information.
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