Hippotherapy

Hippotherapy is part of an individually formatted treatment plan that is goal specific and directed toward functional outcomes. In a hippotherapy session, the movement of the horse influences that of the rider.

Hippotherapy is a powerful tool in therapy because it allows the therapist to impact all of the sensori-motor systems. Children develop an emotional bond with their horse and demonstrate increased motivation to engage in therapeutic activities.

Hippotherapy has been shown to impact:

• range of motion
• strength
• balance
• motor planning and coordination
• speech and language
• respiration
• arousal level and modulation
• sensory systems

Treatment through Exceptional Equestrians is provided by a NARHA-credentialed hippotherapy clinical specialist.

Therapeutic Riding

Therapeutic riding involves the use of a horse to promote the following skills:

• balance and posture control
• mobility and range of motion
• eye-hand coordination
• attention and arousal
• sensory integration
• social, language and cognitive skills

Therapeutic riding is conducted in a group session by a certified riding instructor. Goals are established by the instructor with input from the client's therapist. Therapeutic riding does not imply "therapy" as provided by a licensed professional.