Hippotherapy

Hippo- is greek for Horse.

Our Occupational Therapy program focuses on equine-assisted therapy that encompasses a range of treatments. Treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement as part of an integrated intervention program to achieve functional outcomes.

 Equine movement provides multidimensional movement, which is variable, rhythmic and repetitive. The horse provides a dynamic base of support, making it an excellent tool for increasing trunk strength and control, balance, building overall postural strength and endurance, addressing weight bearing, and motor planning. Equine movement offers well-modulated sensory input to vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile and visual channels. During gait transitions, the patient must perform subtle adjustments in the trunk to maintain a stable position. When a patient is sitting forward astride the horse, the horse’s walking gait imparts movement responses remarkably similar to normal human gait.

The effects of equine movement on postural control, sensory systems, and motor planning can be used to facilitate coordination and timing, grading of responses, respiratory control, sensory integration skills and attention skills. Equine movement can be used to facilitate the neurophysiologic systems that support all of our functional daily living skills.

Therapeutic Riding is riding lessons for individuals with disabilities with the goal of teaching riding skills and using the natural therapeutic benefits of the horse to achieve the rider’s life goals and contribute positively to their cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being. The lesson is typically taught by a riding instructor with a special certification in safety standards and adaptations to teach a rider with disabilities. 

Each lesson is taught by a certified therapeutic riding instructor through PATH International.

The Silver buckle program is designed for kid to adult/senior communities. We offer groups up to 10 to come out to the barn and interact with our horses with unmounted activities.

We strive to provide a meaningful activity that offers participants the chance to connect with others and interact with horses in a safe environment. Our unmounted horsemanship program is a great way for participants to experience the many physical, emotional, and psychological benefits of interacting with horses without the need for riding. This program is designed to improve participants' skills in handling, caring for, and communicating with horses.

Research suggests that incorporating horses provides older adults with a greater ability to live fully in the here-and-now. Often mirroring emotions and the physical demeanor of people who engage with them, horses provide opportunities to boost awareness about certain behaviors and may even help lessen the effects of anxiety, loneliness, and pain. 

“WRINKLES SHOULD MERELY INDICATE WHERE SMILES HAVE BEEN.” – MARK TWAIN