Therapeutic Horseback Riding "Sitting astride a horse can give the rider a sense of independence and increased self-esteem." by Nancy Brannon Mary Riley, MS regularly witnesses the benefits therapeutic riding. She explained these benefits in her lecture “Equine Assisted Activities & Therapy n more than just horsing’ around” at the Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series at Mississippi State University (MSU) College of Veterinary Medicine. Riley is an Instructor and Coordinator of the MSU Extension Service 4-H TEAM program n Therapeutic Equine Activity Member. The program has been evolving since 1969. MSU Extension Service’s 4-H TEAM is a NARHA premier accredited program that promotes therapeutic riding through educational and research-based activities. MSU’s equine assisted activities and therapy include therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, vaulting, driving, educational programs and instructor certification. Some of their therapy programs apply to people who don’t ride, and they are involved in research about equine therapy. Therapeutic riding is a specialized equine activity that provides physical, emotional, and psychological benefits to individuals with special needs. It is a series of adaptive riding lessons, which are individually designed based on the rider’s goals. Through carefully planned activities developed by a health professional and a certified riding instructor, the horse is used as a treatment tool. The movement of the horse at walk provides sensory input that stimulates normal muscle responses in humans. “The MSU Department of Kinesiology’s research program includes gait analysis n how the movement of the horse affects the human gait. A horse’s pelvis is almost identical to a human’s. When humans ride a horse at walk, their vestibular system is stimulated as if they are walking,” Riley said. Hippotherapy is the use of the movement of the horse as a treatment strategy in physical, occupational and speech-language therapy sessions for people with disabilities. It is administered by a licensed physical, occupational, or speech therapist. The procedure is directed by the health professional, with the assistance of a certified therapeutic riding instructor. Hippotherapy has been shown to improve muscle tone, balance, posture, coordination, motor development as well as emotional well-being. “In hippotherapy, the main focus is getting stimulation from the horse. Riders are generally move involved physically,” Riley said. There are physical, psychological, social and emotional benefits from equine activities. Riders experience decreased spasticity, increased range of motion of the joints, increased respiration and circulation, improved appetite and digestion, sensory integration, and increased muscle tone. In addition to physical benefits, such as improved posture, muscle strength, and trunk balance, psychological benefits are improved self-confidence, pride and empowerment, plus a human-animal bond develops between the rider and horse, providing psychological benefits to the rider. Sitting astride a horse can give the rider a sense of independence and increased self-esteem. “It does require a certified instructor, physical therapist, OT, or speech therapist. The therapist often has no horse knowledge,” Riley said. One of her jobs is to find a suitable horse for the rider’s needs. “In therapeutic riding, the focus is teaching the person how to ride and care for the horse. Riders may become independent enough to go in therapeutic riding class. They translate therapy goals into a horse activity,” Riley explained. Social benefits are new friendships, enhanced communication and social interaction, personal growth and an avenue to learning additional social skills. Educational benefits are opportunities to expand vocabulary, reading, math, and language skills. It provides a safe environment for learning life skills, and, most importantly, teaches patience and frustration management. MSU will host another instructor certification program this year in West Point, MS. Beginning March 2010, all their programs will be held at a new facility on 60 acres in the Elizabeth A. Howard Equine Arena in West Point, MS. For more information about the program, contact Mary Riley at 662-325-1695 or email mriley@ext.msstate.edu. See a video about MSU’s Therapeutic Riding Program on the MSHR website: www.midsouthhorsereview.com.