Therapeutic Horsemanship
in Practice
Learning to mount "Petie" from a wheelchair ramp. Learning how to perform warm- up exercises on "Trooper."
Bringing "Rocky" in from the field to groom.
What are the benefits of therapeutic horsemanship?
In recent years, the benefits of therapeutic riding have gained worldwide recognition. The rhythmical, repeatable, 3-dimensional and symmetrical movement of the horse provides numerous physical benefits such as:
Increase or reduce muscle tone
improve balance and coordination
Promote low impact exercise
The ability to be mobile; the ability to bond and partner with the non-judgmental horse; and, the possibility of independence, when working with or riding horses, provide many emotional and cognitive benefits such as:
Who can benefit from therapeutic horsemanship?
Participants in therapeutic horsemanship programs range in age from young children to seniors. Individual programs may limit who can participate based on program-specific policies such as: age limits, weight limits, ability to sit upright with minimal support, or specialization in specific disabilities. Therapeutic horsemanship may benefit people with a wide range of physical, mental or emotional disabilities including, but not limited to:
Cerebral palsy
Down syndrome
Autism
Spina bifida
Mental retardation
Developmental Delay
Traumatic brain injury
Multiple sclerosis
Muscular dystrophy
Cerebrovascular accident
Attention Deficit Disorder
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Behavioral disorders
Learning disabilities
Visual and hearing disabilities
Etc.