Therapeutic riding is not a single term, but includes various forms of therapy that all have one thing in common, namely to involve a horse in the treatment of certain ailments. Therapeutic riding can therefore be both hippotherapy as physiotherapy, therapeutic riding as well as therapeutic vaulting, but also in the field of therapeutic promotion with the horse, a psychotherapeutic, occupational therapy or speech therapy form of therapy.
What is therapeutic riding?
Depending on whether therapeutic riding is hippotherapy, curative riding or curative vaulting, or one of the therapeutic forms of promotion with horses, different aspects and characteristics that horses bring to the table play a role. Horses are very sensitive creatures and reflect the behavior of the people who interact with them. If rather psychological aspects are important in therapeutic riding, this characteristic of therapy horses is particularly important. If it is more about physical aspects in therapeutic riding, then it is rather the vibrations that are transmitted from the horse’s back to the rider’s spine, which have a positive effect on the musculature and the entire musculoskeletal system of the patients. Depending on the type of service offered in therapeutic riding, equine therapists therefore also have different training paths behind them. Social pedagogues, pedagogues or educators with the additional qualification riding have therefore also another qualification than welfare pedagogues with the additional qualification riding. The training and nature of the therapy horses are also important. Normally, therapy horses are patient and calm, but also particularly people-friendly and sensitive.
Function, effect and goals
Which procedures are used in therapeutic riding depends on the goals in this form of treatment. Hippotherapy focuses on the treatment of movement disorders. It is often spastic paralysis or other forms of paralysis that are treated through therapeutic riding. In this case, the riding therapist always has a basic training as a therapeutic pedagogue and is additionally qualified in riding and handling the horse. The patients get a better feeling for their body center by riding, too slack musculature can tense so better, too strongly tense musculature can relax again. The feeling for balance is also improved by riding therapy. Curative riding and vaulting have completely different goals. This form of therapy is concerned with promoting the social and psychological competence of patients. Not only the riding or vaulting itself is important in this form of therapy, but also the contact with the horse or the contact in the therapy group. In this case, the medium horse challenges all senses of the patients, emotionally, physically, mentally as well as socially. The close relationship with the therapy horse is very important in this form of therapy. This already begins with the grooming and care of the therapy horse. The patient learns how to handle the horse, experiences deep emotional feelings that promote personality development, but also experiences successes in riding or vaulting through the physical challenge and in turn experiences social challenges and successes in dealing with the therapist or the other members of the group. Advanced members of such a group can gain a great deal of self-confidence during riding games, trail rides, cross-country rides or show performances and are thus sustainably promoted in their personality development. It is important that the individual situation is always taken into account in the therapy plan. Special forms of therapy that have developed over time are ergotherapeutic, logopedic and psychotherapeutic support with the horse, in which the individual problems of the patients can also be solved through contact with the horse. The nature of the therapy horses used in therapeutic riding usually depends on the individual problems or progress of the patients. It usually does not depend on riding ability. That is why therapy horses are usually particularly calm and patient and react especially sensitively to their riders.In advanced patients, however, it can also make sense to offer somewhat more temperamental animals with ambition, with which the then desired success in the competition can be well achieved, which has a positive effect on the self-confidence of patients.
Risks, side effects and dangers
Horses used for therapeutic riding are always well insured should an accident occur. Nevertheless, even the best insurance cannot prevent an accident from happening in this sport after all, which can also have consequences. Horses are living creatures and as such not always predictable. Even a very calm horse can get frightened and move uncontrollably. For example, when riding or vaulting, a fall from the horse may well occur. However, due to the special training of the therapy horses, this is very rarely the case. It is the same with the pure contact with the horse. Even with a lot of care on the part of the therapists and very calm animals, a therapy horse can even get frightened when being led from the pasture or the stable to the riding arena or into the indoor riding arena and back, as well as when being groomed. While the positives usually outweigh the negatives with this form of therapy. Nevertheless, the possibility of an accident should be considered.
