Equine Therapy Research Paper

Horse Help According to Winston Churchill, "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." Equine Therapy is an experimental form of medical treatment that has shown to be very beneficial. However, it is not covered by medical insurance companies and can be very expensive. Equine Therapy (also referred to as Horse Therapy, Equine-Assisted Therapy, and Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy) is a form of experiential therapy that involves interactions between patients and horses (CRC Health Group 1). The cost of equine therapy is astronomical in comparison to the low funds left available to families who have children with disabilities, which keeps many families from seeking this beneficial therapy for their …show more content…
Some equine therapy centers offer an unmounted program in which the patient picks a horse harnesses it and then leads it through an obstacle course. "The (unmounted) program helps those with developmental disabilities with spatial recognition…"It builds teamwork when they have to work together. We let them learn by having them work through the problem” (Loring par. 8). Spatial recognition is crucial to those with developmental disabilities who have a hard time developing this skill and equine therapy can provide that skill to the …show more content…
21). Cadence is the rhythmic stride one posses while walking. Equine therapy in this study helped individuals with cerebral palsy increase key parts of their walking style without changing their rhythm of walking. “For children with movement disorders, the lack of postural control, which correlates with balance deficits, is often the limiting factor in the ability to participate in activities at home and school and playtime” (Silkwood-Sherer et al. 708). These children find it difficult to maintain a lifestyle similar to their peers since participating in everyday activities is a struggle for these children, keeping up with siblings or other children is basically impossible for those with developmental disabilities relating to movement. The habilitation of postural control in children with balance deficits need to include musculoskeletal, motor, and sensory related activities. These activities should also work on static and dynamic balance tasks; equine therapy meets these requirements in one single activity (Silkwood-Sherer et al. 707). Equine therapy provides therapy from the horse but also a trained professional who can work with children who have postural control due to developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy. These factors give equine therapy a unique quality in which the parents don’t have to drive to multiple therapies to get their

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