physical and speech therapists in the

United States

Equine Assisted Therapy

(EAT)
History

Horses have been utilized as a

therapeutic aid since the ancient
Greeks used them for those people
who had incurable illnesses. Its
earliest recorded mention is in the
writings
of
Hippocrates
who
discussed the therapeutic value of
riding.

The claimed benefits of therapeutic

riding have been dated back to 17th
century
literature
where
it
is
documented that it was prescribed for
gout, neurological disorder and low
morale

Hippotherapy as currently practiced

was developed in the 1960s, when it
began to be used in Germany, Austria,
and Switzerland as an adjunct to
traditional physical therapy. The
treatment was conducted by a
physiotherapist, a specially trained
horse, and a horse handler. The
physiotherapist gave directives to the
horse handler as to the gait, tempo,
cadence, and direction for the horse to
perform.

The movement of the horse was

carefully modulated to influence
neuromuscular changes in the patient.
The first standardized hippotherapy
curriculum would be formulated in the
late 1980s by a group of Canadian and
American therapists who traveled to
Germany to learn about hippotherapy
and would bring the new discipline
back to North America upon their
return
The discipline was formalized in the
United States in 1992 with the
formation
of
the
American
Hippotherapy Association (AHA). Since
its inception, the AHA has established
official standards of practice and
formalized
therapist
educational
curriculum processes for occupational,

Modern Definition

encompasses a range of treatments

that includes activities with horses and
other equines to promote physical,
occupational, and emotional growth in
persons
with
attention
deficit
hyperactivity
disorder
(ADHD),
anxiety,
autism,
cerebral
palsy,
dementia, depression, developmental
delay, genetic syndromes (such as
Down's syndrome), traumatic brain
injuries, behavioral issues, abuse
issues, post traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD), drug and alcohol addiction,
and other mental health problems.
Such therapy is not designed to
replace
more
commonly
used
therapies.

Equine
assisted
activities
and
therapies (EAAT) are not designed
or intended to replace more
commonly used treatments; rather,
they are considered complementary
and adjunct interventions in addition
to more traditional forms of therapy.

Horse Selection

In most cases, horses are trained and

selected specifically for therapy before
being integrated into a program.
Therapy programs choose horses of
any breed that they find to be calm,
even-tempered, gentle, serviceably
sound, and well-trained both under
saddle and on the ground. As most
equine-assisted therapy is done as
slow speeds, an older horse that is not
in its athletic prime is sometimes used

Gelding* - castrated horse or other

equine, such as a donkey or mule.
Mare* - adult female horse or other
equine.

Types of EATT

Therapeutic horseback riding uses

a therapeutic team, usually including a
certified therapeutic riding instructor,

two or more volunteers, and a horse,

to help an individual ride a horse and
work with it on the ground.

Hippotherapy usually involves an

occupational
therapist,
a
physiotherapist, or a speech and
language therapist working with a
client
and
a
horse.
Different
movements of the horse present
challenges to the rider to promote
different postural responses of the
rider. In essence, the horse influences
the rider rather than the rider
controlling the horse. The word
"Hippotherapy" is also used in some
contexts to refer to a broader realm of
equine therapies.
Equine-assisted learning (EAL) is
described as an "experiential learning
approach that promotes the
development of life skills ... through
equine-assisted activities."
Equine-assisted
psychotherapy
(EAP) does not necessarily involve
riding, but may include grooming,
feeding and ground exercises. Mental
health professionals work with one or
more clients and one or more horses
in an experiential manner to help the
clients learn about themselves and
others, while processing or discussing
the client's feelings, behaviours, and
patterns

Effectivity

Yadav C, Bever C, Bowen J, Bowling A,

Weinstock-Guttman B, Cameron M,
Bourdette D, Gonseth GS,
Narayanaswami P (2014),
Complementary and alternative
medicine in multiple sclerosis

*The journal Neurology published a 2014

study finding inadequate data to know
whether hippotherapy or therapeutic
horseback riding can help the gait, balance,
or mood of people with multiple sclerosis

How to be one?
- Psychology Background
-Animal Psychology*
-Training in the US

Sources:

https://www.google.com.ph/search?
q=equine+therapy&rlz=1C1FERN_enP
H656PH656&source=lnms&tbm=isch
&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_1vW__srNAhV
GI5QKHUbBJ8Q_AUICCgB&biw=1366&bih=667#t
bm=isch&q=equine+therapy+adhd+

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equineassisted_therapy#cite_note-yadav-29

http://www.equestriantherapy.com/

http://www.eagala.org/

http://www.equinepsychotherapy.com/equine.html

Whalen CN, Case-Smith J. Therapeutic

effects of horseback riding therapy on
gross motor function in children with
cerebral palsy: A systematic review.
Phys OccupTherPediatr.

Videos:

2012;32(3):229-242.

-all extracted from youtube.com

* There is some evidence that hippotherapy

can help improve the posture control of
children with cerebral palsy, although the
use of mechanical hippotherapy simulators
produced no clear evidence of benefit

Images:
-all extracted from google.com