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Horseback riding can be a tremendous equalizer. Historically, this factor has applied mainly to gender, as this is one of the few sports in which men and women compete equally (although some would argue that women have a slight edge on men due primarily to a lower center of gravity and lighter body mass). But far more important than gender, riding offers equal opportunities for individuals with special needs.
A wonderful example is James Taylor, who in 2007 traveled to China to compete in the Special Olympics World Games, where he won a silver medal in dressage, a bronze medal in equitation, and took fourth place in trail. James has also been honored with Equest’s Levi Strauss Award.
Another rider, Stacey Johnson, has ridden at Equest for more than 15 years and has traveled to Washington, D.C., as an ambassador for the Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Program. Stacey, along with other Special Olympics athletes from across the United States, met with senators and representatives to help pass a bill appropriating funding for Special Olympics.
Finding Financial Aid
Many health care companies, upon the recommendation of a treating physician, will provide benefits coverage for hippotherapy. As well, some therapeutic riding centers offer scholarship aid or a sliding fee scale to assist families with the expense of therapy sessions. Check with your health care company and your physician to determine the level of coverage available to you or your child.
How Horses Help People
Sitting on the back of a gentle, well-trained therapy horse means liberation from a wheelchair or crutches and freedom from physical limitations. Horseback riding can ease the body’s movement and soothe discomfort; it promotes balance and helps to train neurological pathways to function in a way that allows the body to move in a correct manner. At its most basic (and perhaps most meaningful), riding provides the pure joy of connecting with another living creature — one who doesn’t judge, who isn’t critical, who treats each and every person equally and equably.
A surprisingly wide list of conditions have been studied at length and proven to benefit from hippotherapy:
• Amputation
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Autism
• Brain Injuries
• Cardiovascular Accident/Stroke
• Cerebral Palsy
• Deafness
• Depression
• Down Syndrome
• Emotional Disabilities
• Learning Disabilities
• Mental Retardation
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Spina Bifida
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Visual Impairment
Why Use Horses in Therapy?
Other than being fun, how does riding a horse help individuals with such a broad range of disabilities and conditions? A major component of the answer lies in the way horses move — at the walk, for example, the horse’s movement mimics the way human hips move when we walk. This close similarity helps train the brain and related muscles of a body that struggles to walk.
Riding also aids physical coordination, builds muscle strength, and improves balance. The reaching and stretching of the muscles during riding is beneficial for its therapeutic value.
Unlike more traditional methods of physical therapy, which typically occur in hospital settings or offices, therapeutic riding takes place in a natural environment with fresh air, open spaces, and all the pleasures of being around horses and barns. And then there are the horses themselves. Besides being nonjudgmental about their riders, think about the sensory aspect — they have silky manes and tails, their breath is warm and hay-scented, their whiskers tickle, they make delightful sounds when they snort or whicker, their coats are sleek and smooth, the rhythm of their steps is soothing … the feel and sound and smell of horses add a range and depth of sensory stimulation you just can’t get in a hospital or office.
Because people tend to focus more on things they enjoy, therapy becomes an event to be welcomed and looked forward to, making it all the more effective.
In a typical therapeutic riding session you’ll see a coordinated team of individuals surrounding the horse and rider — a therapist, a horse handler, and one or two walkers supporting the rider.
A major factor in the success of therapeutic riding is the boost it gives to the rider’s self-confidence. Disabled riders are mastering a task that the majority of nondisabled people cannot do — they are riding a horse, controlling a large animal, and doing so in a skillful way. And while most riders who participate in therapeutic programs begin with a focus on therapy, a respectable number go on to high-level competition, even at the international level. The Special Olympics and the World Games, to name two such events, have taken disabled riders around the world to compete in some of the finest equestrian venues in existence. How’s that for a confidence boost!
Finding a Therapeutic Riding Center
To qualify as a therapeutic riding center, the facility must have not only gentle horses and people who want to help but also support from knowledgeable staff who are thoroughly familiar with the challenges special needs riders face and how best to assist them. To find a center with the appropriate level of skill, knowledge, facilities, and horses, look for a facility accredited by NARHA, Inc. (formerly the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association).
This 40-year-old association has established standards for safety, education, communication, and research; with more than 5,500 members and more than 730 programs in the United States, NARHA is recognized for its dedication to promoting excellence in therapeutic riding programs. It offers three levels of certification for riding instructors: registered, advanced, and master. Canada has a similar organization, called the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA). Founded in 1980, CanTRA has approximately 100 member centers across Canada that provide high-quality therapeutic, recreation, life skills, and sport programs.
Talking the Talk
Several terms are used to describe the therapeutic use of horses for individuals with special needs. The main terms are:
Hippotherapy (from the Greek hippos, meaning “horse”). Sometimes referred to as “equine facilitated therapy,” this type of therapy is facilitated by a professional physical therapist in conjunction with a professional horse handler, often with the assistance of knowledgeable volunteers who walk alongside. The goal is to improve neurological functioning in cognition, body movement, organization, and attention levels. Sessions are private, with the therapist utterly focused on a single patient in order to continually assess and modify therapy based on his or her responses.
Therapeutic Riding. Sessions, usually for a group, are led by a professional riding instructor in conjunction with volunteers, including a physical, speech, or behavioral therapist who may be involved as a consultant. The goal is to provide social, educational, and athletic opportunities through riding lessons adapted for individuals with disabilities.
Whatever the name, the positive effects of riding on individuals with a wide variety of disabilities is significant, particularly in terms of increased muscle tone, improvement of postural control, psychological benefits, and balance.
Specialized Tack and Equipment
Correctly and safely matching a rider with the proper equipment requires the expert knowledge of a certified therapist. Consider the variety of tack and equipment needed to work with a horse and then add the specialized needs of disabled riders. Each individual rider has particular requirements in order to be safe in the saddle, and a qualified facility will have all the necessary equipment. Safety stirrups, bitless bridles, reins that can accommodate hands with limited movement and strength, adaptive equipment such as bolsters and wedges, nylon fastening tape for students who cannot use saddles, and more — there are ways to make it possible for nearly anyone to ride!
In addition to standard mounting blocks, specialized mounting ramps that can accommodate wheelchairs are critical to ensuring that all riders can safely mount their assigned horses. And the horses must be trained to calmly accept all the efforts that go into helping a disabled rider climb aboard.
Therapy Horses
Like nearly every horse facility, most therapeutic riding centers operate on a tight budget. Therapy horses are often donated, generally after having served as a show horse or lesson horse for most of his life. But not just any horse can become a therapy horse. The key criteria is that the horse be gentle and kind, patient and steadfast, with the disposition to stand quietly at all times and remain unflappable regardless of what goes on around him. Therapy horses know to move out carefully and are mindful of the rider’s balance.
Riders with special needs come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. But they share a love of horses and the dedication and drive to put that love into action.
Therapeutic riding centers take great care in evaluating and selecting horses for their programs. And they take superb care of these horses, recognizing them for the rare treasures that they are.
FROM A HORSE-CRAZY KID
I have always loved horses, especially since I was nine. My mom has, too, but she didn’t have any as a kid. Now, though, she and my dad both ride for fun.
At first, I didn’t want to ride; I just liked to groom and bathe horses. When I started lessons, though, the horses were pretty big and I could only reach as high as the belly, which made grooming harder.
I have two former ranch horses now. They’re both gelding Quarter Horses. I ride them Western pleasure and would like to do trail, since they’re both very responsive. My horses’ names are Ike and 88.
Ike and I have a total connection and we know what we’re each thinking. I know Ike loves me because we have a really strong bond.
Just after I first began riding, I decided I wanted to quit — the Texas summer heat is really bad and I have a problem with heat. But I had a few friends at the barn who talked me into staying. And now, I want to ride always. Even when Ike is bucking, I’m having fun. Riding is so comfortable, it’s a nice getaway. Some people sing — I ride.
