Can a horse heal a
broken heart? Lots of people turn to animals because animals accept anyone for who
they are. Horses can help cure different diseases and disabilities. Ever since
the summer of my eighth grade year I have been working with disabled kids on
horseback. To see and hear the different stories behind every child has touched
a place in my heart. I then realized that having a passion to work with children
and horses can be helpful; which can have an impact on someone’s life.
Horses
have been used for therapeutic benefit as far back as the 1600s in Germany. (William
20) Equine therapy or Hippotherapy is used for physical, psychological, social,
and behavioral issues. (Granados 5) Also, it is used for Autism, Cerebral
Palsy, communication disorders, Down Syndrome and many more. There are two
types of Hippotherapy, which are modern and classic. Modern is used to achieve
physical, psychological, social, behavioral and educational goals.(Granados 5)
Classic is based on the effect of the horse’s movement. The classic
Hippotherapy is beneficial for rehabilitation of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal
and cardiopulmonary dysfunctions. (Granados 4) After concluding research and different
stories of kids using equine therapy to overcome issues, they lead me to
believe that when kids are diagnosed with an illness instead of using
medication they should try Hippotherapy.
Equine
therapy is defined as the movement of the horse, which allows the therapist to
communicate to the rider. According to Biery, one researcher of this journal
entry of alternative and complementary medicine.”Biery evaluated the
effectiveness of these four therapies and gave Hippotherapy the distinction of
being a primary early-intervention therapy for children with disabilities.”
Hippotherapy is the treatment based on the patient’s response to the movement
of the horse. (Granados 4) When kids are diagnosed with an illness there parent
should be given a choice instead of being force into something they might not
know the result of. The horse creates the stimulation when the language is not
there. From working with kids in an equine program you have to use the horse to
communicate with the child your working with. During this process you have to
use facial and posture expressions when you are assisting a child that may have
a disability that limits their communication skills.
Using
this type of therapy it increases the strength in the patients’ muscles while
also keeping them entertained while interacting with an animal. According to
McGibbon and Haehl, they suggested that Hippotherapy motivates children to
actively engage in the treatment. If the patient likes working with the animals
it can be beneficial in the kid’s activity and also helps with the illness.
Hippotherapy demands and encourages participation; being outdoors in the
environment and exercise with the horse are pleasurable. (Granados 13) If the
kids are more willing to do this than to use medication it would be more
beneficial to the child. “Temperature of the body of the equine is about 1 to
5 higher than a human, principally in the neck, mane, and quarters, depending
on the type of exercise the animal is performing.” The different exercises with
the horse can give them different experience levels working with the horses. “The
extra warmth can increase the riders’ plasticity, reduces spasticity and
stretch the rider’s muscles.” (Granados 14) The way the horse moves, rhythm, is
like a person walking so it massages the muscles of the hips in the person.
“Spontaneous movement in turn may contribute to the patient’s cognitive and
motor development, and the Hippotherapy exercises may motivate patients to
repeat these movements while off the horse.” (Granados 15) When the kids are in
a program to help them with their disability the kids are encouraged to keep
practicing the exercises they learned on the horse, as well as off the horse,
to keep strengthening the muscles.
Researchers
start the kids with different disabilities and diseases on something such as a
barrel for research to determine if they are ready to be placed on a horse. According
to the journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, therapist starts the
children off on a 50 gallon barrel. They used students that were enrolled,
assigned, and randomly assigned to do a study on. “The higher the positive percentage
change, the more symmetrical the activity between the left and right side
became after the testing protocol.” The different exercises that the kids
perform on the horse help even out the other side, such as with the different
leads on horses it might exercise one side more than the other depending on the
direction of the horse. “This improvement in symmetry was typically achieved
through a reduction in activity of the overactive scale group and a
corresponding increase in muscle activity on the contralateral side adjusting
to maintain balance.” (William 18) They have tested many children and so far
many of the patients have benefited from this. “Despite the unusual nature of
Hippotherapy it provides physical, cognitive, emotional and social stimulation
as well as nurturing and developing capabilities that maybe untapped through
conventional treatment.” (William 18) Working with the different types of kids
over time you can tell a difference in how the kid reacts every time they come
back to the barn for the next session of equine therapy.
I
have been working with kids with different illnesses and diseases for over a
year now. Working with them has made an impact on me but also the children. I
have seen a person come to the barn scared, afraid, and not wanting to even
look at a horse, but when it was time to leave
the kids did not want to; they wanted to ride more or help out around
the barn just to be around the animals. Overtime, I have seen a positive change
on the children each month. When kids come out to the barn they are ready to
start and really pleased with their learning experience when they leave. To be
in a program like this you do not have to know anything about horses; you just
have to show up. There are always many people that are there to answer
questions. When you come out to the program you will always leave knowing
something that you did not already know. After doing the research and working
with the kids and seeing how well this has helped the kids over time I can
conclude that hippotherapy is a better option than medication.
