Twitter @juangangel
Therapeutic horseback riding is the use of horses and equine-assisted activities in order to achieve goals that enhance physical, emotional, social, cognitive, behavioral and educational skills for people who have disabilities. It not only focuses on the therapeutic riding skills but also the development of a relationship between horse and rider. It uses a team approach in order to provide treatment for the individual with the guidance of riding instructor.
Horses provide a unique neuromuscular stimulation when being ridden through their movement. Horses move in a rhythmic motion that mimics the human movement of walking. While riding, the horses stride acts to move the rider's pelvis in the same rotation and side-to-side movement that occurs when walking. The horses' adjustable gait promotes riders to constantly adjust the speed to achieve the desired pelvic motion while promoting strength, balance, coordination, flexibility and confidence. One does not have to ride to achieve the desired effects of therapy. Horses can act as an aid by giving those with disabilities a companion to care for. Grooming such as brushing, bathing, and currying aid in joint range of motion and have a relaxing and calming effect.
Horses have been utilized as a therapeutic aid since the ancient Greeks used them for those people who had incurable illnesses. The benefits of therapeutic riding have been dated back to 17th century literature where it is documented that it was prescribed for gout, neurological disorder and low morale.
The term "therapeutic riding" was originally used in Germany to address orthopedic dysfunctions such as scoliosis. The physician would engage a physical therapist and a specially-trained horse and instructor to address the strength and orthopedic dysfunction for one year, after which the patient was discharged. The physical therapist worked with the physician and the patient to attain the patient's goals, and the instructor was responsible for the horse. This later became known as hippotherapy in the US.
Therapeutic riding techniques used today started with Liz Hartel from Denmark. Her legs were paralyzed from polio but with therapy she was able to win the silver medal for dressage in the 1952 Olympic Games. The first riding centers in North America began in the 1960s and the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association(NARHA) was launched in 1969.[5]
Benefits
The amount of benefit gained through therapeutic riding differs from person to person based on many factors such as the type of disability, severity of disability, motivation of the rider and connection between horse and rider. Unlike exercise machines that only focus on one muscle group at a time and do not use natural body movements, riding forces the rider to make use of the entire body to steer, control, adjust the horse and maintain balance. Because horses require not only physical skill but also cognitive skill for achievement, riding reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the rider. While most traditional therapeutic techniques often reach a plateau where the patient may lose motivation, the pleasure and excitement of riding acts to encourage patients to work through the pain and discomfort. The act of accomplishing something many able-bodied people are afraid to try is a benefit to those with disabilities in itself.
In an eight-week study on the effects of a therapeutic riding program with participants ranging from ages 10 to 40, a significant change in four out of eight measures of sitting posture was shown.[7] In addition, the results of a recent a ten-week study on therapeutic riding showed and improvement in sense of self-efficacy and self-esteem in adults ages 26 to 46 with psychiatric disabilities.[8] Similarly, an additional study of 22 adults ages 17 to 6 with a variety of physical impairments reported increased physical self-efficacy and behavioral self-confidence following a 12-week therapeutic riding program.
Physical
Improved balance and muscle strength
Improved coordination and faster reflexes
Increased muscular control
Improved postural control
Decreased spasticity
Increased range of motion of joints
Stretching of tight or spastic muscles
Increased endurance and low-level cardiovascular conditioning
Stimulates Sensory integration
Improved visual-spatial perception
Improved gross and fine motor skills
Improved discipline
Psychological
Improved self-confidence
Increased self-esteem and self-image
Development of patience
Emotional control and self-discipline
Expansion of locus of control
Improved risk-taking abilities
Sense of normality
Socialization and improved interpersonal skills
Increased perception of quality of life and life satisfaction
Stress reduction
Improved multitasking ability
source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therape...
Juan Gonzalo Angel
www.tvagro.tv