PATIENT TESTIMONIALS
We give you a snapshot of hippotherapy from the
perspective of our clients.
“The quality of his vocalisations changed and there
was greater variation. He also developed greater oro-
motor control, and as a result he has been able to
enjoy a wider variety of foods and copes with more
texture to his food....
My husband and I had complete confidence in the
abilities of the whole team. N was always treated as
‘N’, and not as a collection of difficulties, as is
sometimes the case with other professionals. We felt
his happiness and safety were paramount and our
feelings and ‘theories’ about how he experiences the
world, were always acknowledged and taken into
account.
We particularly appreciated that N was handled,
spoken to and kissed and cuddled just as we do, and
you delighted along with us, at his progress and
accomplishments.“
mother of a 3 year old boy with
spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy
“E’s trunk and head control did improve – she was able
to stand much more stable and move her head around
while standing position which is something she has
rarely been able to do. Also she seems to have more
strength and control when sitting on floor... Her
standing at home in her frame is a lot better. “
mother of a 4 year old girl with
spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy
“In hippotherapy I liked being on the horse and also
being able to move my trunk better than before... my
muscles got stronger. I also was able to fasten my
zips and buttons easier. I liked everything about the
hippotherapy - especially the people in Dorothee’s
team, as they are friendly, nice and helpful.”
young woman with acquired brain injury
Over the period we were at hippotherapy I found the
team very helpful and couldn’t fault their
professionalism. Also I couldn’t believe how easy it is
for them to get an understanding of the individual
client, and work together to accomplish the goals we
set at the beginning.
suppport worker of a young woman with acquired brain injury
Below are some hippotherapy experiences of people
Dorothee interviewed for her PhD:
"He used to trip and he couldn’t go out with the others in the
garden with his toys… but now it’s definitely that he can do
more as well, and the more he can do, the more [his brother
and sister] get involved with him."
Mother of a 5 year old boy with
spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy
"and there is a lot going on, and that is very important for the
children, and also the feeling that one is able and one
achieves. She does have a twin sister who is a bit more agile
and more mobile, too, and there it’s always good when one has
the feeling that ‘this is mine, and I can do this, and I can
achieve something here’."
Mother of a 10 year old girl with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy
“Now the stability is such, that if there is an unevenness in
the ground, or something that affects the stability, I can
stay upright, and before it was as if anybody only had to
touch me slightly, well, I fell. That’s completely gone! And I
don’t have the feeling any more when I’m walking with my
illness that I’ll fall. That’s completely gone! I walk towards
things as if I was healthy.”
63 year old man with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy
Mother: "Once he’s been on the horse and we go back to the
car, he can actually run to the car, which he can’t before."
Son, emphatically: "And I don’t fall over!"
Mother and son (5 with spastic diplegia)
"Firstly it does me good, and secondly it’s fun”... “I have
learned to ride a bike since I started riding!"
14-year-old with spastic diplegia
"My balance has improved, too; I can now stand virtually
independently"…"to me it is incredible, because in the past I
never experienced that, but before I started riding I
couldn’t hold a glass in my left hand and then I tried some
time and I managed!"
26 year old woman with spastic quadriplegia
"We regularly go to Italy, and all the towns there are built on
hills, and M. tripped very frequently [before she started
hippotherapy], or when she was walking downhill she just
couldn’t keep her balance; that has improved significantly…
We go skiing, and there is a big difference now since the
beginning of hippotherapy, that she’s got much more body
awareness and, I think, also more strength, to move without
losing her balance."
Mother of 10 year old girl with spastic diplegia
