This document compares 5 hippotherapy sites providing information on therapists, location, populations served, diagnoses treated, methods of delivery, costs and funding, outcome measures used, and mini case studies. The sites are located in Florida and Georgia and provide classic hippotherapy or equine-facilitated psychotherapy for diagnoses including autism, cerebral palsy, sensory processing disorders, and more. Sessions are typically 60 minutes weekly and outcomes are measured through standardized tests, clinical observations, and caregiver reports. Case studies provide examples of communication, behavior, and attention improvements seen in child clients.

1. Comparison of Hippotherapy Sites
Children’s Freedom Ride, HOPE: HOrses Hope Therapy Walker Therapy
Name Therapy Network, Inc. helping PEople Services
Inc.
Gina Johnson, OTR/L Sandra Wainman, OTR/L Cathi Brown, OTR/L Rebecca Davenport, Nicole Walker, OTR/L
Edi Walker, OTR/L OTR/L Nolina Varley, OTR/L
Therapist(s)
New Smyrna Beach, FL Orlando, FL Archer, FL Middleburg, FL Gainesville, GA
Location
3+ years 5-6 years 3 years to 2 years to 3 years to
7-9 years 70 years 85 years 18 years
Population 10+ years
autism, sensory autism, mitochondrial autism, PDD, ASD, CP, Down’s ASD, CP, Down’s
processing disorder, disorder, sanfilippo oppositional/defiant Syndrome, learning Syndrome, Sensory
Diagnoses cerebral palsy, multiple disease behavior disorder, disability, processing disorder,
spine disorders including developmental developmental delay, ADD/ADHD,
spondylosis disorders, sensory multiple sclerosis, brain developmental delay,
processing disorder, CP, injury, CVA, (war microcephaly, agenesis
muscular dystrophy, veterans – amputations) corpus callosum, hemi-
brachial plexus injury, hypertrophy
brain tumor, terminal
brain cancer
Classic Hippotherapy Classic Hippotherapy Classic Hippotherapy Equine-Facilitated Equine-Facilitated
30 minute weekly 45 minute weekly 60 minute weekly 60 minute weekly 60 minute weekly
Method of sessions x 6 weeks sessions sessions sessions sessions
Delivery
OT Services: Hope MacKay Scholarship OT Services: Insurance Insurance and private OT Services: Insurance
Reigns sponsoring, (State Funding), and private-pay pay and private-pay
Cost, Billing, Third-party Insurance, Medicaid, Third-party Barn Fees: Private-Pay, Barn Fees: Private-pay,
Funding Private-pay Insurance, Private-pay, HOPE non-profit Finding Faith non-profit
Barn Fees: Hope Reigns donations organization organization

2. sponsoring, Private-pay

3. Sensory Profile, Great VMI, BOT, SCSIT, clinical PDMS, SP SP, MMT, ROM, FM/GM SP, BOT, PDMS, VMI,
Postural Scale, clinical observations (fine/gross Primarily clinical skills, clinical clinical observations
Outcome observations (posture, motor skills, imitation of observations and observations, caregiver
Measures trunk support/strength, postures, postrotary developmental interview
cognition, ability to nystagmus, etc.) milestones
follow instructions, etc.) Track progress with
worksheets:
 Arousal level at
beginning and end
 Posture used on
horse
 Balance
(maintaining center
alignment)
 Changing positions
on horse
 Oral motor (Used
for calming/B
awareness, develop
awareness of
mouth, % drooling
of session)
 Pelvis (% Active vs
Passive movement)
 Trunk/Posture (%
upright, slight
slouch, slouch)
Weekly report sent
home to caregivers

4. Susie is a 9 year old girl Aaron is a 6 year old boy Christopher is a 9 year Billy is a 9 year old boy Morgan is a 9 year old
with autism. with autism who was old boy with ASD. with autism who is non- girl with ASD and
Mini-Case Study Hippotherapy has non-verbal prior to His mother reported verbal and displayed sensory processing
improved her trunk beginning hippotherapy. carryover at home after behaviors such as disorder. Her parents
control, sensory After two years, he now the first few visits, with kicking, biting and and teachers reported
processing and talks non-stop! He has improvements in pinching. After improvements in
communication skills. also improved sensory dressing, grooming, participating in behaviors and attention
She has now plateaued modulation skills and attention and focus. hippotherapy, his after participating in
after making significant now experiences less parents and teachers hippotherapy. Recently
progress and her “meltdowns.” report a significant she was unable to
therapist has referred behavior change and attend sessions for 6
her to therapeutic improvements in weeks and Morgan’s
horseback riding. attention and focus. teacher contacted her
mother regarding her
changes in behavior in
the classroom. Her
mother also reported
difficulties attending to
homework. Morgan
reported “Mom, my
head is feeling funny.”
Hippotherapy sessions
were resumed and
improvements were
noted after just a few
sessions!
Therapist prepares Sessions provided as Rebecca and her mother
clients for hippotherapy weekly OT session teamed together to
Additional sessions in clinic by through Life Skills begin HOPE Therapy in
Information simulating the horse Academy an effort to serve those
with a saddle placed on with special needs
an egg-ball. Therapist through their love for
reports this has offered horses.
a smooth transition.