The effect of therapeutic horseback riding on balance in community-dwelling older adults: a pilot study.
Abstract: Equine assisted activities (hippotherapy and therapeutic riding) improve balance in patients with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, but have not been systematically studied in older adults, at risk of falls due to balance deficits. We conducted a 10-week, single blind, controlled trial of the effect of a therapeutic horseback riding course on measures of balance in community-dwelling adults 65 years and older. Nine riders and six controls completed the trial. Controls were age matched to riders and all participants were recruited from the local community. Both groups showed improvements in balance during the trial, but did not reach statistical significance. Sample size was small, participants had relatively high initial balance scores, and controls tended to increase their physical activities, likely influencing outcomes. No adverse events occurred and the supervised therapeutic riding program appeared to be a safe and effective form of exercise to improve balance in older adults. A power analysis was performed to estimate numbers of participants needed for a larger study.
© The Author(s) 2012.
Publication Date: 2012-11-28 PubMed ID: 25548091DOI: 10.1177/0733464812467398Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Controlled Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article discusses a pilot study on the effect of therapeutic horseback riding on balance in older adults. The study didn’t find a statistically significant improvement, but suggests it may be a safe and effective form of exercise for this population.
Objective of the Study
- The main goal of the study was to investigate whether therapeutic horseback riding activities can improve balance in adults 65 years and older.
- The researchers sought to expand upon existing knowledge that such equine assisted activities (hippotherapy and therapeutic riding) have shown positive effects on patients with disabilities, such as cerebral palsy.
Design and Methodology
- The study was conducted as a 10-week, single-blind, controlled trial involving 15 participants who were all community-dwelling adults aged 65 and above.
- Nine of these participants were assigned to the horseback riding group, while the remaining six formed the control group.
- Both groups were monitored for changes in balance throughout the trial.
Findings and Outcomes
- Both categories of participants showed an improvement in balance during the trial, although the results did not reach statistical significance.
- The effects on balance may have been influenced by the small sample size of the study, the relatively high initial balance scores of the participants, and the tendency of control group participants to increase their physical activities during the study period.
- No adverse events occurred during the trial, suggesting that a supervised therapeutic riding program may be a safe and potentially effective form of exercise for improving balance in older adults.
Implications and Future Research Directions
- A power analysis was performed after the study to estimate the number of participants needed for future investigations.
- Despite the lack of statistical significance in the results, the researchers suggest therapeutic riding as a promising area of investigation for improving balance in older adults.
Cite This Article
APA
Homnick TD, Henning KM, Swain CV, Homnick DN.
(2012).
The effect of therapeutic horseback riding on balance in community-dwelling older adults: a pilot study.
J Appl Gerontol, 34(1), 118-126.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464812467398 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- The Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, Augusta, MI, USA tam@cheffcenter.org.
- The Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, Augusta, MI, USA.
- The Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, Augusta, MI, USA.
- Michigan State University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Accidental Falls
- Aged
- Animals
- Equine-Assisted Therapy / methods
- Exercise Therapy / methods
- Female
- Geriatric Assessment
- Horses
- Humans
- Male
- Pilot Projects
- Postural Balance
- Single-Blind Method
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Badin L, Alibran É, Pothier K, Bailly N. Effects of equine-assisted interventions on older adults' health: A systematic review. Int J Nurs Sci 2022 Oct;9(4):542-552.
- Nqwena Z, Naidoo R. The effect of therapeutic horseback riding on heart rate variability of children with disabilities. Afr J Disabil 2016;5(1):248.
- Badin L, Pothier K, Agli O, Van Dendaele E, Guillou G, Ventalon G, Bailly N. Equine-Assisted Interventions and Physical Health in Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis. Sage Open Aging 2025 Jan-Dec;11:23337214241298342.
- Stergiou AN, Ploumis A, Kamtsios S, Markozannes G, Christodoulou P, Varvarousis DN. Effects of Equine-Assisted Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Clin Med 2025 May 26;14(11).
- Hanson MR, Alm K, Fields B, Gabriels R, Schmid AA, Stallones L, Peters BC. The potential usefulness of standardized assessments to measure participant outcomes of adaptive/therapeutic horseback riding: a survey study. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1303991.
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