The first time our daughter Marissa got on a horse she was just taking in everything and was very calm. In fact, I wasn't sure she enjoyed it at first, but by the end of her ride she did not want to leave and was pointing to the horses, signing horse in sign language. She has had 5 horse sessions now and this is what I discovered. She falls asleep on the way home in the car after each horse session, well before her usual naptime. The fact that she is tired after each session makes me think either she is getting a good physical workout or that new neuropathways must be occurring in her brain. I have been told by other parents of special needs kids that their kids often fall asleep after horse therapy as well. Since doing horse therapy, her speech has taken off. She was only saying 3 - 4 words and now her words have increased weekly. She even said her first sentence, "you did this"! After 3 sessions, her gross motor skills also began to show improvement. She stood up from a sitting position by herself for the first time, which was huge for us, as we have been working hard on this the last 2 years.
Seeing these improvements drove me to learn more about horse therapy, also called equine therapy and/or hippotherapy. Horse therapy helps strengthen children's core and upper body strength, balance and coordination skills , while having fun. Margo Dewkitt, director of Windridge Equestrian Therapeutic Center of East Texas, has long said "the movements of a walking horse stimulate muscle groups the rider would use while walking if his or her brain were more in control". In 2012, at her center, they began doing scientific research to quantify physical improvements of horse riders overtime. In an article by Linda Hubley, she says "some of the other important factors that horseback riding offers is it teaches a skill while at the same time helps the rider to stretch and strengthen muscle tone. The rhythm of riding helps to relax the body and improve balance and coordination."
A study done in 2008 by the University of Washington Research Team found that after 12 weeks of 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". "They actually maintained a continuum of measureable improvement - better head and trunk stability and improved control of their arms as they reach - even months after their hippotherapy sessions ended."
Horse therapy also has mental and emotional benefits as well. Equine therapy is often geared toward mental/emotional support for children so that they can learn how to interact in the world. "It's been clinically proven that just being in the vicinity of horses changes our brainwave patterns", says Franklin Levinson. "They have a calming effect which helps stop people from becoming fixated on past or negative events - giving them a really positive experience". This type of therapy is often done with kids with autism.
And in case you are wondering how safe horse therapy is, a good place will often have one person riding with the child and another person holding the horse's reigns, walking beside the horse. Often helmets are used as well. And of course, I always look for a place where horses look well-treated, happy and healthy!
While horse therapy can be costly, some places will have scholarship programs or grants available to support families. It is also a great gift to ask for the holidays or birthdays. In California, after age 3, you might be able to use Respite Hours through your local Regional Center to cover the cost. As more and more research is being done on the benefits of horse therapy, health insurances may cover this type of therapy in the future.
Marissa and I look forward to her weekly horse therapy sessions and to seeing more benefits in the future. Let us know if you have tried this! I would love to hear the outcomes from other families!
References:
Brown, Julie (2014). Horse Therapy - Changing Lives. Taken from http://www.wayofthehorse.org/Articles/horse-therapy.html
Evans, Glenn (2012). Research could validate horse therapy at East Texas Center. Taken from http://www.news-journal.com/news/local/research-could-validate-horse-therapy-benefits-at-east-texas-centera/article_bfd9604b-f14a-5aa4-8a08-98f7024584ed.html
Henry, KC for Washington University Research Team. (2008). Benefits of Equine Therapy. Taken from http://www.horsesandhumans.org/WUfinal_press_release.pdf
Hubley, Linda. (2014). Horse Therapy for Children with Special Needs. Taken from http://www.childrensdisabilities.info/therapy-service-animals/horse-therapeutic-therapy.html
