AdobeStock_604614540.jpeg

mission statement

"Enhance physical, cognitive, and social well-being of persons with special needs/disabilities to support self-confidence through equine assisted activities of therapy"


Purpose

'Healing By Horseback' provides speech, physical and occupational therapy services to individuals with disabilities in Northwest Arkansas. Benefits of Hippotherapy are seen in a variety of diagnoses/impairments:

  • Cerebral Palsy

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • Sensory Processing Disorders

  • Down Syndrome

  • Dyspraxia

  • Social/Communication Delays

  • and more...

 

Subscribe

Sign up with your email address to receive news & updates


Hippotherapy: Speech, Physical and Occupational Therapy

Hippotherapy refers to how occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology professionals use evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning in the purposeful manipulation of equine movement to engage sensory, neuromotor, and cognitive systems to achieve functional outcomes.

Professionals may use a horse as a treatment tool within their therapy session, just as they might use a ball, balance beam, physio ball or toy. Horses are carefully chosen for their temperament and the type of movement they produce. All are specifically trained for their unique role within therapy sessions and are guided by professional horse handlers, which optimizes safety and effectiveness. 

Hippotherapy & Therapeutic riding: What's the difference?

 

Hippotherapy

  • Completed by professional therapists in conjunction with a trained horse handler

  • Horse's movement is essential to assist in meeting therapy goals

  • Goal is to improve neurological, physical, cognition, coordination, organization and attention level for daily tasks

  • Billable through insurance as (ST, PT, or OT)


Therapeutic riding

  • Completed by trained horseback riding instructor with volunteers

  • Horse's temperament is essential to learning riding skills

  • Provides social, educational and sport opportunities in recreational horseback riding lessons for individuals with disabilities

  • Not billable through insurance