Acute effect of hippotherapy applied on different sitting surfaces in children with special needs.

Overview

• This study evaluated how hippotherapy, a therapeutic riding method, performed on various seating surfaces affects sitting balance and walking speed in children with special needs.
• The research compared different saddle setups during a single therapy session to observe immediate changes in physical abilities.

Purpose of the Study

• To explore the acute effects of hippotherapy on children with special needs.
• Focus was placed on two key physical functions: sitting balance and walking speed.
• The study specifically looked to see if different seating surfaces during hippotherapy would change these outcomes.

Participants and Grouping

• Children aged 3 to 18 years with special needs were included in the study.
• Participants were divided into three groups based on the type of seating surface used during hippotherapy:
• Group 1: Rode using a standard saddle.
• Group 2: Rode without a saddle, having direct contact with the horse’s back.
• Group 3: Rode using a saddle with an added textured material on top.

Intervention Details

• Each group underwent a single 30-minute hippotherapy session conducted in a riding arena.
• The sessions were designed to simulate typical therapeutic riding experiences with variations in seating surfaces.

Measurement Methods

• Sitting Balance: Assessed using the BeCure balance system, which quantifies the ability to maintain sitting posture.
• Walking Speed: Evaluated through the 10-meter walk test, measuring how quickly the children could walk a short distance.
• Measurements were taken immediately before and after the therapy session to detect any acute effects.

Results

• No significant improvement was observed in sitting balance across any of the three groups following the session.
• Group 3, which used the saddle with additional textured material, demonstrated an increase in walking speed after the session compared to Groups 1 and 2.
• Despite the noted improvement in walking speed for Group 3, statistical analysis across groups did not show significant differences in either sitting balance or walking speed.

Conclusions and Implications

• The incorporation of textured materials on saddles during hippotherapy might enhance acute improvements in walking speed among children with special needs.
• However, this effect was not strong enough to yield statistically significant differences when comparing all groups.
• Sitting balance did not change noticeably after a single session regardless of seating surface.
• The study highlights the need for future research with larger participant numbers to confirm findings.
• It suggests examining not only immediate but also subacute and long-term effects of differing hippotherapy techniques.