Horse Helping Children by Cathy Dever Hatch

When people hear the word hippotherapy, they usually think it has something to do with a hippopotamus. Hippos is from the Greek word meaning horse. Hippopotamus actually means river horse. But what is hippotherapy? Hippotherapy is a form of physical therapy that uses a horse as part of the treatment session.

Quest Therapeutic Services, located in West Chester , Pennsylvania , specializes in providing “hippotherapy” to children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, spina bifida, traumatic brain injury, autism, and developmental delays.

Physical therapists use the movement of the horse to improve balance, coordination, strengthen body muscles and target deficits such as one sided weakness sometimes seen in children with cerebral palsy.

During a treatment session, the child is put through various positions and exercises while seated on a bareback pad on the horse. The child is assisted by the therapist and a trained side-aide to assume the positions of forward, backward, and side sitting, quadruped, and tall kneeling and standing in the stirrups. Many activities are geared towards weight bearing to influence tone and strengthen muscles.

Hippotherapy is not to be confused with therapeutic riding. Hippotherapy is done under the direction of a licensed therapist in which movement of the horse helps the children improve their gross and fine motor skills. Therapeutic riding teaches individuals who have disabilities how to ride using adapted techniques.

Quest is unique in that children receive the skills of experienced pediatric therapists along with the physical and emotional healing power of horses.

Using horses as part of the treatment sessions is highly motivating and children tend to work harder than they would in normal therapy settings.

With hippotherapy children look forward to their therapy sessions, and especially giving treats to their favorite horses.