Research Paper On Hippotherapy
Annually, over 58,000 people benefit from Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT)—activities including, but not limited to, grooming and riding horses—as treatment for a wide range of cognitive, physical, and emotional impairments. Hippotherapy, a specific type of EAT, is used to treat patients with 1[Marker for question 1] neuro-motor, and sensory dysfunctions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Down Syndrome, and autism. Patients begin by riding horses under the direction of a physiotherapist and horse handler. The gait, tempo, and cadence of the horse’s movement 2[Marker for question 2] serves to stimulate the patient’s vestibular system (the inner ear and brain regions responsible for balance), causing motor responses that can improve postural stability, strength, and sensory awareness.
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Since it was first introduced in the 1960s, hippotherapy has been adopted by a number of professions—such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech pathology—to improve patients’ physical and mental health.
Professionals interested in incorporating hippotherapy into their treatment sessions first 3[Marker for question 3] obtain certification from the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) or the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH). Then, after at least three years of experience in hippotherapy, a professional can also choose to become a Certified Hippotherapy Clinical 4[Marker for question 4] Specialist; a designation that facilitates teaching, research, and development of new hippotherapy
practices.
As hippotherapy generates more attention among the medical community and public-at-large, the demand for licensed practitioners is quickly expanding. 5[Marker for question 5] According to the US Department of Labor, professions that incorporate hippotherapy are forecasted to grow significantly in the next decade: physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language pathology have projected ten-year growth rates of 36 percent, 29 percent, and 19 percent, respectively. A career in hippotherapy thus offers the opportunity to both improve the quality of life for countless individuals and to become involved in a new and rapidly growing field.
Since it was first introduced in the 1960s, hippotherapy has been adopted by a number of professions—such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech pathology—to improve patients’ physical and mental health.
Professionals interested in incorporating hippotherapy into their treatment sessions first 3[Marker for question 3] obtain certification from the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) or the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH). Then, after at least three years of experience in hippotherapy, a professional can also choose to become a Certified Hippotherapy Clinical 4[Marker for question 4] Specialist; a designation that facilitates teaching, research, and development of new hippotherapy
practices.
As hippotherapy generates more attention among the medical community and public-at-large, the demand for licensed practitioners is quickly expanding. 5[Marker for question 5] According to the US Department of Labor, professions that incorporate hippotherapy are forecasted to grow significantly in the next decade: physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language pathology have projected ten-year growth rates of 36 percent, 29 percent, and 19 percent, respectively. A career in hippotherapy thus offers the opportunity to both improve the quality of life for countless individuals and to become involved in a new and rapidly growing field.