Topic:Therapeutic Riding

Assessment of Native Lithuanian Horses for Therapeutic Riding Purposes.
Journal of applied animal welfare science : JAAWS    January 10, 2024   1-13 doi: 10.1080/10888705.2024.2303677
Ribikauskas V, Kreizaitu0117 J, Morku016bnaitu0117 J, Arney DR, Kuu010dinskienu0117 J.Hippotherapy is considered as a beneficial field of activity for Žemaitukas, a Lithuanian native horse breed. The aim of this study is to analyze the suitability of Žemaitukas breed horses for hippotherapy by using a set of tests based on the temperament, behavioral reactions, and zoometric measurements. Results of these tests inform whether the future use of Lithuanian native horses in hippotherapy can ensure their welfare. In total, 32 horses were evaluated. Twenty-nine of the evaluated horses were horses of the Žemaitukas breed that had never been used for hippotherapy, the others were h...
The state of coursework on horses in human services at universities and colleges in the United States: a scoping review.
Frontiers in veterinary science    November 28, 2023   Volume 10 1305353 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1305353
Connolly K, Ekholm Fry N.An increasing number of universities and colleges in the United States are offering coursework on adaptive/therapeutic riding and the incorporation of horses in human service areas such as psychotherapy, education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology. The first study to identify coursework in these areas was published in 2018. In order to track development over time, we conducted a replication study to determine the prevalence of coursework on horses in human services at higher education institutions. Information gathered for the 2021-2022 academic year includ...
The effectiveness of hippotherapy simulation exercises for muscle strength, disease activity and quality of life in sedentary adults with ankylosing spondylitis.
Annals of medicine    August 29, 2023   Volume 55, Issue 2 2249822 doi: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2249822
Salbau015f E, Karahan AY.Newly created systems called hippotherapy simulators (HS) mimic the primitive movements of a live horse. As they are new systems, research examining their usefulness has been well received. The aim of this study is to research the effects of HS on disease activity, quality of life and muscle strength in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Unassigned: In a prospective, assessor-blinded, block-randomized trial, 48 AS patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either HS or conventional home (CH) exercise therapy. All Participants received 48 sessions, that is 4 sessions a we...
Equine-Assisted Therapy in Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Journal of equine veterinary science    June 22, 2023   Volume 128 104871 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104871
Palomar-Ciria N, Bello HJ.Alternative treatments for Post-traumatic-Stress Disorder (PTSD) have attracted attention, especially Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) including psychotherapy and occupational therapy involving horses. In this work, we measured the effectiveness of EAS in PTSD through a meta-analysis. An intensive bibliography search focusing in EAS and PTSD was conducted following the PRISMA recommendations. The search was not restricted by date. For the quantitative analyses, 5 works were selected. They were chosen based on the instrument utilized for the assessment of PTSD symptoms: the PTSD Checklist for DSM...
[Contribution of equine therapy in the management of post-traumatic stress disorder].
Soins. Psychiatrie    April 20, 2023   Volume 44, Issue 345 39-43 doi: 10.1016/j.spsy.2023.03.011
Chalvignac L, Galia P, Faure P, Prieto N.For several years, animal-mediated therapies have been used in the treatment of psychiatric patients. Post-traumatic stress disorder has the particularity of being generated by an external event in a person a priori free of mental pathology. In this disorder, various so-called targeted psychotherapies have proven to be effective, including equine therapy.
Reducing Anxiety and Stress among Youth in a CBT-Based Equine-Assisted Adaptive Riding Program.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 20, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 19 2491 doi: 10.3390/ani12192491
Hoagwood K, Vincent A, Acri M, Morrissey M, Seibel L, Guo F, Flores C, Seag D, Peth Pierce R, Horwitz S.Reining in Anxiety (RiA) is a therapeutic program for youth with mild to moderate anxiety delivered in a therapeutic riding setting by Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors. RiA was developed after a review of the evidence base for youth anxiety, is manualized, and includes five core CBT components: in vivo exposure, cognitive restructuring, youth psychoeducation, relaxation, and caregiver psychoeducation about anxiety. This study extended findings from a prior RCT that examined (1) the feasibility of collecting saliva samples from horses and children to measure stress (cortisol) and relaxa...
The Effect of Equine Assisted Learning on Improving Stress, Health, and Coping among Quarantine Control Workers in South Korea.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)    August 18, 2022   Volume 10, Issue 8 1564 doi: 10.3390/healthcare10081564
Jung T, Park H, Kwon JY, Sohn S.Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Avian Influenza (AI) frequently occur in South Korea, resulting in high levels of occupational stress among quarantine workers forced to partake in massive livestock killings. This study explored the usefulness of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) in improving these workers' psychological and emotional functioning. A total of 51 FMD/AI control workers participated in 16 sessions of an EAL program facilitated by therapeutic riding professionals and trained horses. Results showed significant changes in their stress level, coping style, and overall quality of life-re...
Mental health benefits of mounted equine-assisted therapies: A scoping review.
Health & social care in the community    July 10, 2022   Volume 30, Issue 6 e4920-e4935 doi: 10.1111/hsc.13904
Ward J, Hovey A, Brownlee K.Across mental health professionals, there is growing interest in the field of Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT). Preliminary evidence suggests EAT is beneficial for a wide spectrum of client populations. EAT programs may be based on groundwork alone, where participants interact with the horses from the ground only, or they may incorporate mounted activities. It remains unclear whether mounted activities add therapeutic benefits to the EAT experience for participants. This scoping review explored whether mounted activities, specifically where the client rides the horse, contribute to distinct thera...
Self-Regulation Mediates Therapeutic Horseback Riding Social Functioning Outcomes in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Frontiers in pediatrics    June 28, 2022   Volume 10 884054 doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.884054
Peters BC, Pan Z, Christensen H, Gabriels RL.Emerging evidence suggests therapeutic horseback riding improves self-regulation behaviors, social functioning, and language in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been theorized that interacting with horses is calming for youth with ASD, which may influence social and language outcomes. The current study is an exploratory secondary mediation analysis of a previously published randomized controlled trial of therapeutic horseback riding for youth with ASD. We hypothesized that self-regulation would mediate therapeutic horseback riding's effect on social and language outcomes in yo...
Pulmonary Function and Aerobic Capacity Responses to Equine Assisted Therapy in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Journal of rehabilitation medicine    June 23, 2022   Volume 54 jrm00296 doi: 10.2340/jrm.v54.1085
Abdel Ghafar MA, Abdelraouf OR, Abdel-Aziem AA, Elnegamy TE, Mohamed ME, Yehia AM, Mousa GS.Idiopathic scoliosis is a common spinal malalignment that negatively impacts the respiratory system and physical conditioning in adolescents. Equine-assisted therapy comprises therapeutic horseback riding that optimizes physical performance and mobility in a range of contexts. However, the influence of equine-assisted therapy on pulmonary function remains unclear. Objective: To examine the impact of 10 weeks of hippotherapy combined with Schroth exercises on pulmonary function and aerobic capacity in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. Methods: A randomized controlled trial including 45 pat...
Effect of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Journal of integrative and complementary medicine    January 28, 2022   Volume 28, Issue 1 51-59 doi: 10.1089/jicm.2021.0158
Suk MH, Kwon JY. To determine the effects of an equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) program on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). An evaluator-blinded, parallel, two-arm, randomized controlled clinical trial with 1:1 randomization. A tertiary university hospital and a local arena. Forty-six children with CP (24 boys and 22 girls) classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I, II, or III were included. The EAAT program was conducted for 40 min twice a week for 16 weeks (32 lessons). Clinical global impression scales, motor capacity, cardi...
Impact of hippotherapy on the life habits of children with disabilities: a systematic review.
Disability and rehabilitation    January 19, 2022   Volume 44, Issue 26 8161-8175 doi: 10.1080/09638288.2021.2012847
Potvin-Bu00e9langer A, Vincent C, Freeman A, Flamand VH.The aim was to document the effects of hippotherapy on the 12 life habits of children with various disabilities. A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines was conducted to identify relevant studies. Five databases were consulted. Inclusion criteria were: 2-to-18 years old; therapy provided by a PT, OT or SLP/SLT; variables relevant to life habits as defined by the Human Development Model - Disability Creation Process. Quality was analyzed using a quantitative studies critical review form developed by the McMaster University Occupational Therapy Evidence-Based Practice Research Group. Level...
Preliminary Efficacy of Occupational Therapy in an Equine Environment for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders    September 23, 2021   Volume 52, Issue 9 4114-4128 doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-05278-0
Peters BC, Wood W, Hepburn S, Moody EJ.The purpose of this study was to identify appropriate outcome measures and assess preliminary efficacy of occupational therapy in an equine environment (OT HORSPLAY) for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twenty-four youth with ASD aged 6-13 were randomized to 10 weeks of OT HORSPLAY or to a waitlist control condition, occupational therapy in a garden. Youth demonstrated significantly improved goal attainment and social motivation, and decreased irritability after OT HORSPLAY. When compared to the subset of participants who completed the waitlist control condition, the OT HORSPLAY gro...
The Role of the Horse in an Equine-Assisted Group Intervention-as Conceptualized by Persons with Psychotic Conditions.
Issues in mental health nursing    September 20, 2021   Volume 43, Issue 3 201-208 doi: 10.1080/01612840.2021.1975332
Hultsju00f6 S, Jormfeldt H.Adopting positive health interventions is necessary to promote self-image, improve well-being, support meaningful social interaction and reduce loneliness, with benefits for psychological and physical health for persons with psychotic conditions. Raised awareness of the potential benefits of involving horses in these kinds of interventions is warranted. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the role of the horse in equine-assisted interventions (EAI) as conceptualized among persons with psychotic conditions. Interviews were conducted with eight persons with psychotic conditions who had pa...
Equine-Assisted Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Military Veterans: An Open Trial.
The Journal of clinical psychiatry    August 31, 2021   Volume 82, Issue 5 21m14005 doi: 10.4088/JCP.21m14005
Fisher PW, Lazarov A, Lowell A, Arnon S, Turner JB, Bergman M, Ryba M, Such S, Marohasy C, Zhu X, Suarez-Jimenez B, Markowitz JC, Neria Y. As veterans have high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and historically poor treatment outcomes and high attrition, alternative treatments have gained much popularity despite lack of rigorous research. In this study, a recently developed and manualized 8-session group Equine-Assisted Therapy for PTSD (EAT-PTSD) was tested in an open trial to assess its preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes for military veterans. The study was conducted from July 2016 to July 2019. Sixty-three treatment-seeking veterans with PTSD enrolled. PTSD diagnosis was ascertained using the S...
Effectiveness of equine-assisted therapies for improving health outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Multiple sclerosis and related disorders    July 23, 2021   Volume 55 103161 doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103161
Suu00e1rez-Iglesias D, Bidaurrazaga-Letona I, Sanchez-Lastra MA, Gil SM, Ayu00e1n C.Scientific evidence has shown that equine-assisted therapies (EAT) lead to improvements in the physical function and the quality of life (QoL) of people with disabilities through the practice of hippotherapy or therapeutic riding (TR). There is a need to confirm whether people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) can also benefit from its practice. This review aimed to systematically evaluate and meta-analyze the available data on the potential health benefits of EAT in PwMS. Methods: Four electronic databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus) were searched systematically fro...
Experiences of Military Veterans in a Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program.
Clinical nursing research    April 15, 2021   Volume 30, Issue 7 923-933 doi: 10.1177/10547738211003580
Johnson RA, Albright DL, Marzolf JR, Bibbo JL, Yaglom HD, Crowder SM, Carlisle GM, Grindler K, Harms N, Willard A, Wassman M, Russell CL.Posttraumatic stress disorder commonly occurs among U.S. military veterans. Therapeutic horseback riding (THR) has emerged as an adjunct therapy. We explored 20 veterans' perceived benefits, drawbacks and views of a 6-week THR program. Participants had confirmed diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or both. Veterans rode the same horse weekly, the same day, at the same time. Data were collected as part of a randomized clinical trial testing the effects of THR on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Veterans responded to an open-ended questionnaire. Content analysis wa...
Equine-assisted activities and therapies in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review.
Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing    January 10, 2021   Volume 28, Issue 6 1079-1091 doi: 10.1111/jpm.12710
Pu00e9rez-Gu00f3mez J, Amigo-Gamero H, Collado-Mateo D, Barrios-Fernandez S, Muu00f1oz-Bermejo L, Garcia-Gordillo Mu00c1, Carlos-Vivas J, Adsuar JC.WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by problems of inattention and impulsive hyperactivity in children. Equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAATs) have been used as alternative non-pharmacological intervention option in patients with ADHD. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Nowadays, more studies of high methodological quality are needed to determine whether EAAT is an effective intervention for the treatment in children with ADHD. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Between 15 and 40 min of rising horses, 8...
Gross Motor Skills and Gait Performance in Two- and Three-year-old Children With Developmental Delay Participating in Hippotherapy.
Journal of equine veterinary science    December 30, 2020   Volume 99 103359 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103359
Brady HA, James CR, Dendy DW, Irwin TA, Thompson LD, Camp TM.This study examined the effects of 15 sessions of hippotherapy (HPOT) on gross motor skills in children (aged 2-3 years) with gross motor developmental delay (DD) (n = 11) in comparison with age-based controls without DD (n = 6). Gross motor skills in both groups were assessed with the Battelle Developmental Inventory 2nd Edition, and gait parameters were measured using a computerized gait analysis system prestudy and poststudy. The DD group took part in 15 sessions of HPOT, and the control (CON) group did not participate in any equine activities. The statistical analysis examined preinterv...
Effect of Equine-Assisted Activities on Cardiac Autonomic Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Randomized-Controlled Trial.
Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)    November 27, 2020   Volume 27, Issue 1 96-102 doi: 10.1089/acm.2020.0346
Park IK, Lee JY, Suk MH, Yoo S, Seo YG, Oh JK, Kwon JY. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have an impaired cardiac autonomic function. Attenuated heart rate recovery (HRR), which is a valuable prognostic parameter for autonomic nervous system, is known to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. However, only few studies have observed the effects of exercise on the cardiac autonomic function in children with CP. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effects of equine-assisted activity (EAA) program on cardiac autonomic function in children with CP. A single-blinded, parallel, two-arm pilo...
Effects of equine-assisted therapy on the functionality of individuals with disabilities: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Physiotherapy theory and practice    October 21, 2020   Volume 38, Issue 9 1091-1106 doi: 10.1080/09593985.2020.1836694
Prieto A, Martins Almeida Ayupe K, Nemetala Gomes L, Sau00fade AC, Gutierres Filho P.Evaluate the effects of Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) on the functioning of individuals with different health conditions through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCT). Unassigned: This review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42018100035) and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses recommendations. RCT were searched in eight different databases, using relevant keywords until July 7, 2020. Two independent reviewers performed selection of articles and data extraction that w...
The Influence of Hippotherapy on the Body Posture in a Sitting Position among Children with Cerebral Palsy.
International journal of environmental research and public health    September 19, 2020   Volume 17, Issue 18 6846 doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186846
Matusiak-Wieczorek E, Dziankowska-Zaborszczyk E, Synder M, Borowski A.The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of hippotherapy (therapy with horses) on posture and body function among children with cerebral palsy. A case-control study included forty-five children aged 6-12 years, classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level I or II, with spastic diplegia or hemiplegia. The participants were randomly divided into three groups: study I (n = 15), study II (n = 15) and control (n = 15). The children from the study groups attended 30min hippotherapy sessions for 12 consecutive weeks, twice (study group I) or once (study group II...
Gymnastic Training of Hippotherapy Horses Benefits Gait Quality When Ridden by Riders with Different Body Weights.
Journal of equine veterinary science    September 12, 2020   Volume 94 103248 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103248
de Oliveira K, Clayton HM, Dos Santos Harada u00c9.The objective was to evaluate the effects of gymnastic training on stride characteristics of walk and trot in therapy horses carrying riders of different weights. Eighteen horses used for therapeutic riding 5 days/week were randomly divided into 2 groups. Nine horses performed gymnastic (GYM) exercises after therapeutic riding on 4 days/week for 3 months, 9 horses did no additional exercises (SED). On days 0 and 90, an inertial sensor mounted to the girth on the ventral midline was used to evaluate stride characteristics when horses were ridden at walk (1.3 m/second) and trot (3.0 m/secon...
The Effectiveness of Hippotherapy to Recover Gross Motor Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Children (Basel, Switzerland)    August 19, 2020   Volume 7, Issue 9 106 doi: 10.3390/children7090106
Guindos-Sanchez L, Lucena-Anton D, Moral-Munoz JA, Salazar A, Carmona-Barrientos I.Cerebral palsy (CP) is a permanent disorder of the posture and movement, which can result in impairments of gross motor function, among others. Hippotherapy (HPT) is an emerging intervention to promote motor recovery in patients with neurological disorders, providing a smooth, precise, rhythmic, and repetitive pattern of movement to the patient. The main objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials was to analyze the effectiveness of HPT interventions on gross motor function in subjects with CP. The following databases were searched in May 2019...
Characterization of Horse Use in Therapeutic Horseback Riding Programs in the United States: A Pilot Survey.
Journal of equine veterinary science    June 6, 2020   Volume 92 103157 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103157
Watson E, Davis A, Splan R, Porr CAS.With increasing public scrutiny on animal welfare, it behooves those involved in the equine industry to revisit best management practices to ensure these support healthy horses. There is little published research on how horses are used in the equine industry, particularly in therapeutic horseback riding (THR) programs. Although there is a large amount of information on the benefits of THR programs to the participants, there is little published information available about the horses. Therefore, the objective of this survey was to gather data regarding horse use and care in Professional Associat...
Parental Perspectives of Occupational Therapy in an Equine Environment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Occupational therapy in health care    April 17, 2020   Volume 34, Issue 3 230-252 doi: 10.1080/07380577.2020.1751903
Kalmbach D, Wood W, Peters BC.This paper reports on the qualitative phase of a mixed methods study of occupational therapy in an equine environment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study's quantitative phase found that this intervention improved the occupational performance, social motivation, social communication, and self-regulation of some children with ASD. The study's qualitative phase, reported herein, subsequently aimed to describe parental perspectives on children's experiences of the intervention and its influences on everyday life. Using a qualitative descriptive research approach, five paren...
Parental Perception of Changes in Basic Life Needs of Children with Disabilities after Six Months of Therapeutic Horseback Riding: A Qualitative Study.
International journal of environmental research and public health    February 13, 2020   Volume 17, Issue 4 1213 doi: 10.3390/ijerph17041213
Lovriu0107 R, Faru010diu0107 N, Miku0161iu0107 u0160, Gvozdanoviu0107 Debeljak A.Therapeutic horseback riding (THR) has a positive effect on the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning of children with disabilities. Parents' reports of the effects of THR on their children support professionals in individualizing the THR program. With this qualitative study, we aimed to explore parents' perceptions of changes in the basic life needs of their children with disabilities after six months of THR lessons and to survey parents' explanations for the causes of these changes. The study involved parents of 13 children with disabilities who were enrolled in a six-month THR p...
Outcomes following physical therapy incorporating hippotherapy on neuromotor function and bladder control in children with Down syndrome: A case series.
Physical & occupational therapy in pediatrics    May 20, 2019   Volume 40, Issue 3 247-260 doi: 10.1080/01942638.2019.1615601
Moriello G, Terpstra ME, Earl J.: The objective of this case series was to document gross motor function, gait parameter, and bladder control outcomes following physical therapy incorporating hippotherapy in children with Down syndrome (DS). : Four children between three and five years of age received eight-weekly physical therapy sessions incorporating hippotherapy. Outcome measures included the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), parental perception of function during every day activities, spatiotemporal parameters of gait and bladder control. : Total change scores on the GMFM-88 exceeded the standardized response m...
Equine Assisted Therapy for Patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series Study.
Military medicine    March 7, 2019   Volume 184, Issue 9-10 394-399 doi: 10.1093/milmed/usz036
Shelef A, Brafman D, Rosing T, Weizman A, Stryjer R, Barak Y.Equine assisted therapy (EAT) which includes therapeutic horseback riding (THR), grooming, horsemanship and ground level work with horses, has been studied as treatment for children with special needs and/or autistic spectrum disorder. Preliminary evidence indicates that EAT is also effective for improving self-efficacy and self-esteem in adults with psychiatric disorders. Empowerment, bonding and building trust with the horses, may promote functioning of patients struggling with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).The authors performed a prospective, pilot open case series study to assess t...
Replication Pilot Trial of Therapeutic Horseback Riding and Cortisol Collection With Children on the Autism Spectrum.
Frontiers in veterinary science    January 14, 2019   Volume 5 312 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00312
Pan Z, Granger DA, Guu00e9rin NA, Shoffner A, Gabriels RL.We aimed to determine whether results of our prior randomized control trial [RCT; NCT02301195, (1)] of Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR) for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) could be at a different riding center and if treatment effects also included differences in the expression of associations between problem behavior and the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Participants with ASD ( = 16) ages 6-16 years were randomized by nonverbal intelligence quotient to either a 10-week THR group ( = 8) or no horse interaction barn activity (BA) cont...
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