How Does Therapeutic
Horseback Riding Help Autism?

THR builds on the foundation of hippotherapy. Hippotherapy uses the horse as a therapeutic tool just like any occupational therapy device except that the horse is a living creature. However, THR actually involves horseback riding lessons in addition to hippotherapy.

Thus, therapeutic horseback riding has the same advantages as hippotherapy. A deep bond is created between you and the horse which facilitates communication and social skills. And sensory integration dysfunction is improved considerably since the entire experience involves the senses of vision, hearing, smell, tactile, vestibular and proprioception.

However, auditory processing and cognition are improved considerably more with THR since the tasks are much more involved in horseback riding lessons.

Each lesson usually lasts about 1 hour. During this time, you will learn to groom, tack, mount, dismount, untack, and clean in addition to the riding lessons. You will also learn good safety practices. The actual riding time will be about 30 minutes.

Horseback riding lessons involve an awareness of your total body in relation to the horse. You must have good posture with legs, hip and head in a proper line. Then, you learn to follow the movements of the horse with your body to continue walking and stop following the motion when you want to stop. You use pressure with your legs when you want to turn. And you also learn to position the reins for each activity. It is amazing just how many muscles you use when you do these activities!

You can either find a place that officially offers therapeutic horseback riding and is affiliated with North American Riding for the Handicapped or Federation for Riding for the Disabled International ,or you can just take general horseback riding lessons.

I opted to use a local horse trainer for my daughter with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-NOS. I explained PDD-NOS in detail to the trainer. In particular, I let her know that my daughter is not very aware of her body, and often does not comprehend verbal instructions readily. The trainer has been especially patient, and my daughter has improved tremendously. She can now walk and direct the horse herself, and she understands instructions extremely well.

Now you must be so excited about horseback riding that you want to know even more tips and techniques about horseback riding and you want to do a horse unit study!

So, just click on the following photos to learn more!

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