Today, there are nearly 8,000 horses globally who are working at PATH Intl. centers, and each of them helps humans with an array of challenges. The most common diagnosis seen in these therapies, as in therapeutic riding programs, is autism spectrum disorder. The support that horses provide to clients includes EAS like therapeutic horsemanship as well as physical, occupational and speech therapy.
One area generating a lot of excitement right now is physical or occupational therapy wherein therapists incorporate horses into their treatment plans. This shows particular promise for clients with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, the most common motor disability in childhood. Physical therapy that taps into a horse’s natural movements, like its gait and its rhythms, encourages core strength, postural symmetry, improved motor skills and more.
EAS have also been found to help children with developmental delays improve their social and emotional skills, potentially because of the crucial roles that empathy and trust play in the unique relationship between participant and horse.
In addition to studies, therapeutic riding instructors and professional therapists share compelling anecdotal evidence. According to Dr. Turbeville, who is a certified therapeutic riding instructor: “I’ve had riders who needed to use their walker to get to the horse. But when they got off the horse after a session, they were able to walk back to their walker on their own.”
Alm shared a personal memory of an 8-year-old boy who had never spoken. After an initial 20-minute assessment on the horse, he put his hand in his mother’s and said: “Me ride horsey.” It was, according to his parent, the first sentence he’d ever said.
Emerging research also points to how partnering with horses can help improve mental health conditions, particularly military veterans suffering from PTSD. One study found that after just an eight-week treatment program incorporating equines, veterans’ symptoms decreased significantly, and remained that way for months.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLCzscCtoK%2Bdl6e8tryOs6aerJmofKm71mafqKqjmsButMSlp2agpaKur7%2BMoZyapF2Wu6V506Gpoq6VZA%3D%3D