Hippotherapy is a form of therapy that uses the movement of the horse as a means to achieve therapy goals. The horse's movement promotes active responses in the client and facilitates activation of postural control, balance, and motor and sensory systems. The sessions are conducted by licensed Physical, Occupational or Speech therapists and assisted by a certified riding instructor and volunteer aids. Although the focus is not on skill development, the client develops balance and feel of the horse and often times will participate in therapeutic riding as well.

Clients who have movement, speech and/or motor deficits can benefit from Hippotherapy. Some of the issues that are addressed in a session are:

• Abnormal muscle tone
• Impaired balance
• Abnormal reflexes
• Decreased coordination
• Impaired Sensorimotor function
• Postural Symmetry
• Decreased trunk mobility
• Abnormal limb function

A simple way to differentiate between Hippotherapy and therapeutic riding is to think of Hippotherapy (treatment with the help of a horse from the Greek word hippos, meaning horse) as the horse controlling the movement of the student. In therapeutic ridingm the student controls the movement of the horse.