Hippotherapy

Question 1

What is the difference between hippotherapy and adaptive riding?

Answer 1

Hippo uses the movement of the horse as a TOOL by therapists to address impairments, functional limitations and disabilities in patients.

Adaptive riding teaches ACTUAL RIDING skills to develop the rider’s muscle and skills specific to their disability.

Question 2

What is the reasoning to using a horse for therapy (what does the horse body offer?)

Answer 2

movement pattern is multi-dimensional, variable, rhythmic, and repetitive. The movements of the horse’s hind legs, trunk, and pelvis are comparable to the human’s trunk, pelvis and leg

Question 3

T/F, equine movement can help with better vocalization

Answer 3

true, improving postural control helps improve vocalization while riding on a horse

Question 4

What are some specific horse requirements for hippotherapy?

Answer 4

must be able to tolerate the pt being in various positions, be okay with therapists and volunteers being very close to it, and be fine with noisy toys and props

Question 5

What are some specific horse requirements for therapeutic riding?

Answer 5

tolerance to unbalanced or uncoordinated rider, forgiving of inexperienced rider, accept arena obstacles and various toys

Question 6

What sensory inputs does a child get by riding on a horse?

Answer 6

tactile input, vestibular input, proprioceptive input, midline orientation

Question 7

What are the four main position options for riding on a horse?

Answer 7

forward sitting, backward sitting, side sitting, modified side sititng

Question 8

You have a pt that needs to improve their posterior pelvic tilt and have limited hip ABD and ER ROM, which position would you place them in?

Answer 8

forward sitting

Question 9

You have a pt that you want to improve their anterior pelvic tilt and increase their thoracic extension. You also want to have a greater surface for them to WB in UE and increase their BOS, which position would you put them in?

Answer 9

Backward sitting

Question 10

You have a pt and want to work on lateral weight shifts and opening up their thoracic cavity. You also want to have them WB in UE laterally. What position would you place them in?

Answer 10

side sitting

Question 11

What position would you place a child to help them dissociate the trunk and pelvis, weighting an unweighted hip, and facilitate active trunk rotation and co-contraction of trunk muscles?

Answer 11

modified side sitting

Question 12

Which alternative position can help relax spastic muscles?

Answer 12

prone over barrel of horse