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Benefits of Therapeutic Riding

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Doctors and rehabilitation specialists are increasingly recommending therapeutic riding for their patients with disabilities. Research shows that riders who participate in equine assisted therapy can experience physical, emotional and psycological rewards. Because horseback riding gently and rhythmically moves the rider's body in a manner similar to a human gait, riders show improvement in flexibility, balance and muscle strength. For individuals with mental or emotional disabilities, the relationships formed with the horse, the instructors and the other riders can lead to increased confidence, patience and self-esteem. The bonds formed between the horses, riders, and volunteers are very powerful, and they are incredible to watch. Imagine the joy of escaping crutches or a wheelchair to find independence and freedom on the back of a horse.

Psychological benefits

• General sense of well-being
• Improved self-confidence and self-esteem
• Emotional control and self-discipline
• Social benefits
• Interaction and the development of friendships with volunteers
• Development of respect and love for animals
• Increased experiences

Physical benefits

• Improved balance
• Strengthened muscles
• Improved coordination, faster reflexes and better motor planning
• Decreased spasticity and greater flexibility
• Increased range of motion of the joints
• Improved respiration and circulation
• Sensory integration

Educational benefits

• Sequencing, patterning and motor planning
• Differentiation between objects
• Improved eye-hand coordination and visual spatial perception

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History of Therapeutic Riding

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(from Strides Therapeutic Riding, www.strides.org)

It is not clear when riding for person with disabilities became a specialized field, but history records people with disabilities riding horses as early as the days of the ancient Greeks. Orbasis of ancient Lydia documented the therapeutic value of riding in 600 B.C. Even then, it was acknowledged that riding was more than a means of transportation; it was also a way of improving the health and well-being of people with disabilities.

The first study of the value of riding as therapy was reported in 1875. French physician Cassaign used riding as a treatment for a variety of conditions, and concluded that it was helpful in the treatment of certain kinds of neurological disorders by improving posture, balance and joint movement, as well as psychological improvements.

At the turn of the century, England recognized riding for the disabled as a beneficial form of therapy and offered riding therapy for wounded soldiers at the Oxford Hospital during World War I. By the 1950s, British physiotherapists were exploring the possibilities of riding as therapy for all types of disabilities. The British Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) was founded in 1969 with the enthusiastic support of the Royal Family.

Riding therapy was introduced in Scandanavia in 1946 after two devastating outbreaks of poliomyelitis. Liz Hartel, an accomplished horsewoman, was stricken with the disease. Although surgery and physiotherapy helped her to walk again with the aid of crutches, she was determined to ride independently again and began daily supervised riding sessions to improve her muscle strength and coordination. Liz Hartel brought attention to riding for persons with disabilities when she won the silver medal for Dressage at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. She and Ulla Harpoth, a physical therapist from Copenhagen, went on to use horses as therapy for their patients.

Therapeutic Horseback Riding came to both the United States and Canada in 1960, with the formation of the Community Association of Riding of the Disabled.

In the United States, riding for persons with disabilities developed as a form of recreation and as a means of motivation for education, as well as for its therapeutic benefits. In 1969 the Cheff Center for the Handicapped was established in Michigan, and remains the oldest center specifically for people with disabilities in the United States. The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) was founded in 1969 to serve as an advisory body to the various riding for the disabled groups across the United States and its neighboring countries. NARHA provides safety guidelines and training, certifies therapeutic riding instructors, accredits therapeutic riding centers according to its own high standards, disseminates information, and offers low-cost insurance to its member organizations.

Today, disabled riders demonstrate their remarkable accomplishments in national and international sport riding competitions. Hippotherapy (physical therapy on horseback, using the horse as the therapist) has developed as a medical field recognized by most major countries. Equine Facilitated Mental Health, Equine Experiential Learning and other forms of therapy involving horses are gaining in popularity. Medical doctors, psychiatrists, physical and occupational therapists, speech therapists, and teachers all refer patients and students to specialized therapeutic riding programs. Therapeutic riding has become a well recognized and acclaimed method of improving the lives of those who refuse to let their disabilities limit them.

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Horses: Passion for riding grew from therapy

by Angela Wiebe of the Langley Advance

Ashley Gowanlock is just like every other competitive equestrian - she trains two to three days a week, competes in shows often, and is passionately in love with the sport. But, there's also something that separates her from the others: she has cerebral palsy and limited mobility in her legs. Ashley, 18, who trains at Langley's Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities, has been riding since the age of two. While her mother, Sue, initially took her daughter riding for therapeutic reasons, Ashley fell in love with the sport, hard and fast. "She could care less about anything but this," Sue said of Ashley's riding.
Having to walk with a brace, Ashley loved the freedom that riding gave her. While her friends were excited about basketball and baseball tournaments growing up, she was excited about horse shows. "I loved being on the horse and being able to go wherever [I] wanted," she said. "The horse is her legs," Sue added. It wasn't until she was 13 that Ashley fell in love with more than just riding. It was the thrill of competition that drove her to work harder and harder at the sport. "I thought, 'This is what I have to do,'" Ashley said. "I've found something I can live for." Thanks to a disciplined work ethic, Ashley found herself improving in dressage and freestyle - two forms of competitive riding - with every training session. "She's amazing," said Ashley's trainer Michelle Meacher. "I see progress in her every day. She's one of those people that coaches love to coach." From early on, Ashley had dreams of making the national team and competing in the Paralympic Games. "I don't think anybody else believed me, but I knew this was something I had to do." A real affirmation for Ashley, a student at Douglas College, came only one and a half months ago, when she competed against a set of able-bodied people. "She got the highest score out of anybody, not just because she's disabled," Sue said. "The judge was just floored." She also recently came in second in Canada in the qualifying round to be eligible for the national riding team. "We just keep telling her, 'Go for the gusto girl,'" Sue said. "[She] might have to compensate in other ways, but there is a way." And even when Ashley doesn't do her best, she doesn't let it get her down. "If you mess up," Ashley said of a competition, "you have to move on and put it behind you. And make the rest incredibly great."

Sue, who comes to watch almost every one of Ashley's practices and competitions, marveled at her daughter's positivity. "She's a very, very up person," she said. "If she does make it to the Paralympics, she'd be an asset to Canada." Ashley hopes to find out in the next couple of months whether she makes the national team, which would guarantee her a trip to the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. Ashley, who is elated at the prospect of combining her passion and travelling the world, is more than ready for the opportunity: "Send me anywhere, and I'm ready to go."

But both Ashley and Sue said the opportunity wouldn't be possible without the support of PRDA. "This place is great," Ashley said. "There's nobody saying you shouldn't do that or you can't do it. They're saying, 'You can, you should, so let's go." Similarly, Sue noted the dedication of PRDA's trainers. "She's had some extremely good coaches. They've gone over and above what they really need to do."

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