OCCUPATIONAL therapy services

The word hippo comes from the Greek word for “horse.” Our Occupational Therapy program incorporates equine-movement as part of a comprehensive treatment approach. Using equine movement as a therapeutic tool, we integrate horse-based activities into interventions designed to achieve functional outcomes.

Equine movement provides multidimensional, rhythmic, and repetitive motion, with the horse acting as a dynamic base of support. This makes it an effective tool for improving trunk strength and control, balance, postural endurance, weight bearing, and motor planning. The movement also delivers well-modulated sensory input to the vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, and visual systems. As the horse transitions through different gaits, the rider makes subtle trunk adjustments to maintain stability, mimicking patterns similar to normal human walking.

Through these movements, utilizing equine movement can facilitate postural control, coordination, timing, respiratory control, sensory integration, and attention skills. It supports the neurophysiologic systems underlying functional daily living skills, helping patients build strength, coordination, and overall functional independence in an engaging and meaningful way.

A horses movement has a therapeutic effect on a person because it imparts a precise, repetitive pattern of movement very similar to the movement of our pelvis during normal walking.

Our program uses horses as a motivating and dynamic therapy tool to support children’s development in a fun, natural setting. Sessions are led by licensed occupational therapists and focus on traditional therapy goals, with horses integrated into activities such as grooming, leading, and care routines.

Therapeutic Focus:

•  Fine & Gross Motor Skills– building hand strength, dexterity, and coordination
•  Core Strength & Postural Control – improving stability and balance
•  Sensory Processing & Regulation – providing calming and organizing input through horse-related activities
•  Attention & Sequencing – following steps in grooming, leading, or care tasks
• Social & Communication Skills – encouraging turn-taking, requesting, and expressive language
•  Confidence & Independence – developing self-esteem through success in meaningful tasks
•  Focus on ADLS/IADLS and increasing independence 

Equine Facilitated Mental Health is an unmounted, hands-on approach in which participants connect and interact with horses in a guided, supportive setting. Sessions may include activities such as grooming or groundwork, all designed to be engaging, safe, and accessible. Within our equine-assisted mental health programming, EMDR can be thoughtfully incorporated depending on clinical assessment, client needs, and treatment goals, to support nervous system regulation, trauma processing, and emotional integration. Horses provide intuitive, responsive companionship, creating a unique space where participants can explore experiences, practice new skills, and engage with themselves and the world in a meaningful way.