Hippotherapy – horseback riding - is a popular treatment strategy among occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists that uses the rhythmic movement of a horse to treat people who have, primarily, brain or spinal cord impairments. It has been reported that this movement helps regulate muscle tone and decreases spasticity in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. Is it the movement alone, however, that’s therapeutic, or is something else involved?

To answer this question, authors Helga Lechner MSc PT, Tanja Kakebeeke, PhD, PT, Dorte Hegemann, PT, and Michael Baumberger, MD had a group of 12 individuals with SCI do two therapy sessions twice a week for four weeks. One session involved working with a horse, the other was mechanical: either sitting on a large foam roll to simulate the position of sitting on a horse, or sitting on a stool with a rocking seat, which mirrored the rhythmic movement of sitting on a walking horse.

The conclusion? Horseback-riding wins the race. When evaluated immediately after a hippotherapy session, it was found that participants had reduced spasticity, which neither sitting on the large foam roll or the rocking stool could achieve consistently. Equally important, hippotherapy was the only one of the three treatment approaches to improve short-term mental well-being.

Suggesting that this effect is perhaps based on the fact that contact with a large animal has a profound effect on humans, they noted that a horse may, for example, help increase an individual’s confidence and self-esteem through its acceptance of him/her as a rider. Also, spasticity can damage quality of life, disturb sleep, impede rehabilitation efforts, and may even contribute to a negative self-image. Take-away? Saddle up – they may be big, but horses may have an equally big impact on your physical and emotional well-being.

For further information: “The Effect of Hippotherapy on Spasticity and on Mental Well-Being of Persons With Spinal Cord Injury,” by Helga Lechner MSc PT, Tanja Kakebeeke, PhD, PT, Dorte Hegemann, PT, Michael Baumberger. MD, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, vol. 88, Issue 10, Oct 2007