Hippotherapy is a scientific, evidence-based therapeutic intervention strategy that utilizes the unique, multidimensional, repetitive, and rhythmic movement of horses to achieve therapeutic goals. Grounded in research, hippotherapy has been shown to offer unique benefits for children (and adults) with various challenges such as cerebral palsy, ADHD, anxiety, brain injury, spinal muscular atrophy, depression, rare syndromes, stroke, congenital disorders, muscular dystrophy, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delays, and many more.

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Hippotherapy services can only be provided by professionally trained occupational, physical, and/or speech therapists. As therapists, we are trained to manipulate the movement of the horse, which, in turn, transfers specific movement onto our clients to effect changes across all body systems.

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By taking advantage of the horse's multisensory input, we can activate the neurological, musculoskeletal, circulatory, digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, lymphatic, endocrine, and integumentary systems. As the horse walks, its gait closely mimics the natural movement patterns of the human pelvis during walking. On average, the horse walks at 100 beats per minute, providing 100 beats of vestibular and proprioceptive input to our clients per minute. This dynamic movement helps stimulate and enhance core strength, balance, coordination, and postural control. Continuous sensory input is necessary for healthy brain development, opening new neurological pathways, creating new synapses, and fostering neuroplasticity within the central nervous system.