Using Hippotherapy Strategies for Children and Youth with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Hippotherapy, the medical use of the horse’s movement, is an evidence-based intervention option for children with cerebral palsy. The horse’s walking gait closely resembles that of a human’s normal walking pattern, providing the mounted child with multiple practice opportunities to absorb and respond to equine perturbations in three planes of movement, stimulating postural sway, postural adaptation, anticipatory feedback, and integration of multisensory information. The ability to vary the equine movement and provide multiple practice repetitions in a session provides opportunity for postural responses/adaptations that reinforce neural pathways to improve posture, strength, coordination, function, and participation. Evidence supports the incorporation of equine movement for children with cerebral palsy.