HIPPOTHERAPY

Hippotherapy (from Greek hippos = horse)

is a specialist one-to-one physiotherapy

treatment which uses the movement

impulses of a walking horse to facilitate

movement responses in patients. Unlike in

riding, the person on horseback does

nothing to direct the movement of the

horse; on the contrary, the person is

moved by the horse and responds to the

horse’s movement. The physiotherapist

directs a specially trained horse handler to

vary the horse’s movement as required,

through changes in speed and direction.

Experts in the field of neuro-rehabilitation agree

that the lack of exposure to normal movement

experiences increases many people’s disability

far beyond their original impairment.

In other words, because many people with a

movement disorder are not exposed to the

same movement challenges as their able-

bodied peers, they do not have the opportunity

to practise normal movement responses.

Hippotherapy uses horses’ movement to

enhance the movement experience,

and improve the movement ability,                                    

of people with movement disorders.

Horse Power for Ability is the trade name of Horses for Health CLG. We are a not-for-profit organisation. Chair: Dr Dorothee Debuse

Registered office: Heather Lodge, Edlingham, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 2BL, UK. Tel: 01665-574727