Hippotherapy

Hippotherapy is occupational therapy, physical therapy, or speech and language therapy using a horse as part of the treatment. Therapy sessions can take place mounted on the horse, around the horse from the ground, or in the barn environment.Therapeutic activities are fun, active, and address all the same treatment areas as typical OT sessions.

Roxanne is specially trained to provide OT using the equine (horse) movement. She has been accredited by the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) to use hippotherapy to facilitate goal attainment. If not in Roxanne’s area, she encourages you to find a hippotherapy practitioner using the AHA website. Roxanne currently provides hippotherapy services with the only hippotherapy accredited site in the Los Angeles area, Ride On.

The horse’s movement is passively transferred to the client when mounted. Increased activation of all the muscle groups can be achieved using different positions. There is particularly strong activation of trunk and hip flexors, extensors, lateral trunk movement, as well as trunk and hip rotation.

Roxanne has found that clients are highly motivated during hippotherapy sessions. Clients often feel empowered when mounted and tend to build self confidence through hippotherapy.

Almost any person can benefit from hippotherapy intervention. Clients served using this approach include (but are not limited to) people with:

• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders
• Developmental Coordination Disorder
• Dyspraxia or Apraxia
• Low Tone (muscle weakness)
• Cerebral Palsy
• Down Syndrome
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Visual Impairments
• Amputation

Roxanne was recently in the media for hippotherapy’s role in comprehensive treatment plans. The clip is available here.

Contact Roxanne to discuss how you or your child might benefit from hippotherapy!