Hippotherapy module 1 EN

1. SpecialisedVET training on Hippotherapy for
professionals working with children with
intellectual, emotional, physical and psychomotor
disabilities
2019-1-TR01-KA202-074547

3. 1.Information about the project
1.1.What is the aim of the project
1.2.Target group and beneficiaries of the project
1.3. Results of the project
2.What is hippotherapy?
2.1. History of Hippotherapy
2.2. Development of Hippotherapy

4. 1.Information about the project

5. This project aims to train professionals to become a hippo therapist, and will allow this treatment
to become widely available for children with disabilities.
Because the hippotherapy training requires a standardized program, only certified therapists can
apply.
As a result of this project the hippotherapist will be implemented in Turkey (foremost) as well as
will be applied in Bulgaria, and Romania.

6. • Registered physical or occupational therapists, and therapist assistants with at least a
minimum of basic horse experience in equine handling and care.
• Adaptive riding instructors, horse handlers, administrators, and others interested in
hippotherapy principles with at least a minimum of basic horse experience in equine
handling and care.
• Speech language pathologists or physicians with at least a minimum of basic horse
experience in equine handling and care.
• Graduate occupational, speech, and physical therapists in their last semester of graduate
school with at least a minimum of basic horse experience in equine handling and care.

7. • Children with intellectual, emotional, physical and psychomotor
disabilities
• Parents of children with disabilities
• VET centres who are providing further qualification programmes
• Therapy related centres on governmental, municipal or private level

8. The project will create a set of outcomes during the project, that will allow therapists to improve
and maintain their knowledge, skills and competence via the following intellectual outputs:
• IO1: HIPPOTHERAPY curriculum and training modules
• IO2: Mobile training and assessment application
• IO3: Repository of training videos

9. 2.What is hippotherapy?

10. • For several centuries and in mythology, the
horse often has been portrayed as a helper
and healer of humans.
• In the 19th century, scientific inquiries into the
therapeutic usefulness of horseback riding for
neurologic disorders and other disabilities
were made. http://amorpha.org/en/blog/archives/4633

11. • It is believed that the present widespread use of
horseback riding therapy was prompted by the
extraordinary accomplishment of Lis Hartel
(Hellerup, 14 March 1921 - Copenhagen, 12
February 2009).
• Diagnosed with poliomyelitis (polio), she
brought recognition to therapeutic riding by
winning the silver medal for Grand Prix
Dressage at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
• Horseback riding was the sole treatment for her
rehabilitation.

12. • From that feat, horseback riding as therapy spread from Western Europe to other
parts of the world.
• In 1958,The Pony Riding for the Disabled Trust was formed in the UK, and in North
America the Community Association of Riding for the Disabled was formed in 1960.
• Subsequently the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Centre opened in 1969 as the first
therapeutic riding centre built especially for the purpose of serving those with
special needs in North America

13. • In the late 1960s, the North American Riding for the
Handicapped Association (NARHA) was founded and
facilitated the implementation of therapeutic riding by
setting standards for programs and by serving as a
centre for training, equipment, and access to programs.
• NARHA continues to develop a comprehensive research
database that promotes and educates on the efficacy of
therapeutic riding. https://hersonissos-
horseriding.com/hippo_therapy.php

14. • Therapeutic riding consists of three types of programs:
• vaulting (sport),
• riding therapy (exercise),
• and medicine (hippotherapy).
• Although each area has its own unique goals and methods, the areas overlap and
complement each other.

15. • Vaulting is more multifarious, involving gymnastic-
type movements on horseback.
• This therapy has an application with emotional
and behavioural disabilities.
• By using a special equipment called a vaulting
surcingle, which consists of a padded girth and
handgrips, the rider attempts various positions
that require developing trust in the horse.
• The horse acts as an agent of socialization by
consistent response and feedback to the rider.
• Mastery of these tasks and skills enables the
riders to increase self-esteem.
https://tiltonstherapyfortots.com/resources/benefits-hippotherapy

16. • In riding therapy, the individual has an ‘‘active’’ role in controlling the direction and
cadence of the horse.
• Its prescription is solely for the sake of exercise.
• Riding therapy is an ideal training in coordination and balance, and has a great
influence on the regulation of movement of the spine that is not too encephalized
and depends on the autonomic systems.

17. • The medicine approach (hippotherapy) uses the
horse to achieve physical, psychological, cognitive,
behavioural, and functional goals.
• This approach involves a team composed of medical
professionals (physical therapist, occupational
therapist, speech-language pathologist/Certificate
of Clinical Competency (CCC), and psychologist or
psychotherapist), the therapeutic instructor, and the
rider.
http://armstrongsteel.com/network/pastors-church-leaders
/healing-horses-closer-look-at-hippotherapy/#.X0j4X8gzbIU

18. • Hippotherapy literally means “treatment with the help of the horse” from the Greek
word,“hippos” meaning horse.
• It is defined as equine-assisted treatment.
• Firstly, it was mentioned in the works of Hippocrates.
• However, it has now become a discipline with an established protocol up to 1960s.

19. • During the 1960s, it was used as an adjunct to
traditional physical therapy in Germany,
Austria, and Sweden.
• In countries as Germany, Austria, and
Sweden which used the horse in physical
therapy, the term “hippotherapy” was
introduced into medical literature.
• During the 1970s in the United States of
America (USA ), hippotherapy was started to
be standardized.
https://autism.lovetoknow.com/Hippotherapy

20. • It was standardized by a group of Canadian, and American
therapists who travelled to Germany in order to learn
hippotherapy near the end of the 1980s.
• The American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) was founded
in the year 1992, and established an official, and international
protocol.
• In 1994, the certification document and standards for certified
hippotherapy clinical specialist (HPSC) were established, and
in 1999 the first certification examination was realized.
https://www.youarecurrent.com/2017/08/17
/childrens-theraplay-horses-honored-for-25
-years-of-hippotherapy-services/

21. • This certification program consists of three steps, and encompasses a training
period of 3 years.
• With the certification program bestowed by the American Hippotherapy
Association, hippotherapists assume the title of hippotherapy clinical specialist
(HPSC).
• These specialists have knowledge and experience about hippotherapy.
• The physiotherapist (but also the occupational therapist, speech and language
specialist) who received 6000 hours of training, and 100 hours of practical
application for at least 3 years, deserves to be in this team.

22. The following definitions also can be used instead of hippotherapy:
• Equine-assisted therapy
• Equine-facilitated psychotherapy
• Equine-assisted psychotherapy
• Therapeutic horseback riding
https://woodsunwinds.com/theraputic-riding

23. • In fact, although the terms "equine-assisted therapy" and "therapeutic horseback
riding" are used instead of hippotherapy, the terms "equine-facilitated
psychotherapy" and "equine-assisted psychotherapy" are not the same as
hippotherapy.
• Equine-assisted psychotherapy or equine facilitated psychotherapy is the use of
equines to treat human psychological problems in and around an equestrian
facility. It is not the same as therapeutic riding or hippotherapy.

24. Equine-assisted psychotherapy
• Equine-assisted therapy is a specialized form of
psychotherapy using the horse as a therapeutic tool.
• Horses have several characteristics that are similar
to humans in their behavioural responses and social
structures, thus providing a mirror for the client to
gain insight in a unique and non-threatening
environment.
• The horse is a large, powerful animal that commands
respect and elicits fear.
https://cantra.ca/en/galleries/les-amis-de-joey-gallery

25. • Overcoming these obstacles and building a relationship promotes confidence,
relation-ship skills and problem-solving skills.
• Equine-assisted therapy is designed to address self-esteem and personal
confidence, communication and interpersonal effectiveness, trust, boundaries and
limit-setting, and group cohesion.
• For children, equine-assisted therapy has all the benefits of play therapy as well as
experiential learning.

26. • This type of therapy provides opportunities for the child to identify and understand
personal emotions, develop empathy, develop a sense of responsibility, learn to
problem-solve, and to succeed in new undertakings.
https://www.childrenstheraplay.org/hippotherapy

27. • Each client must be evaluated before the first hippotherapy session. The aim is to
evaluate her/his physical capacity to take part in such an activity.
• The evaluation must observe the behaviour in following situations:
• sitting with no contact (no hands used)
• lateral movement of the pelvis
• active rotation of the torso
• Thus, once the parent hands the child over to the therapist, first off all the child
must be equipped:
• helmet,
• belt and/or back protection.

28. • The team as well as the horse must know the environment
very well. Hippotherapy can take place
• in a manege
• outside of a manege:
• walking lanes around the manege
• open spaces

29. • Characteristics of activities taking place in the manege:
+
• much more safety
• a reduced number of stimuli for the horse
-
• number of activities is reduced and can become boring
• only one type of surface (sand)
• walking in a straight lane is limited to the width and length of the
manege

30. • Characteristics of activities taking place outside the
manege:
• the environment is changing and this is stimulating creativity
• different elements from the environment can be used for different
activities
• different walking surfaces can be used (grass, hard walking lanes,
inclined surfaces)
• as distances are bigger the changes are not so frequent and that is
comforting for the horses

31. For further information about the definition and history of hippotherapy (equine
assisted therapy) please download the documents from the link below.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5175116/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15458756/

32. • Beiber, N. (1983).The integration of a therapeutic equestrian program in the academic environment of children with
physical and multiple diabilities. In New perspective on our lives with companion animals (pp. 448-459). University of
Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia.
• Benda,W., McGibbon, N. H., & Grant, K. L. (2003). Improvements in muscle symmetry in children with cerebral palsy after
equine-assisted therapy (hippotherapy). The Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 9(6), 817-825.
• Debuse, D., Chandler, C., & Gibb, C. (2005). An exploration of German and British physiotherapists' views on the effects of
hippotherapy and their measurement. Physiotherapy theory and practice, 21(4), 219-242.
• Koca,T.T., & Ataseven, H. (2015).What is hippotherapy? The indications and effectiveness of hippotherapy. Northern
clinics of Istanbul, 2(3), 247.
• Kroger, A. (1989).Vaulting as an educational aid in schools for behaviorally disturbed children. Therapeutic riding:
Medicine, education, sports, 40-54.
• Meregillano, G. (2004). Hippotherapy. Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America, 15(4), 843-54.
• Reide, D. (1986). Aspects of therapeutic horseback riding (pamphlet). Riderwood (MD):Therapeutic Riding Services.
• Schultz, P. N., Remick‐Barlow, G. A., & Robbins, L. (2007). Equine‐assisted psychotherapy: A mental health
promotion/intervention modality for children who have experienced intra‐family violence. Health & Social Care in the
Community, 15(3), 265-271.
• Silkwood-Sherer, D., & Warmbier, H. (2007). Effects of hippotherapy on postural stability, in persons with multiple sclerosis:
a pilot study. Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy, 31(2), 77-84.

33. The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not
constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the
authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be
made of the information contained therein.
https://www.hippotherapy-training.eu/
https://www.facebook.com/HippotherapyProject/
https://www.hippotherapy-training.eu/elearning/?lang=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hippotherapy.mobile
https://apps.apple.com/app/id1526453884