Therapeutic riding and hippotherapy

We offer therapeutic riding and hippotherapy courses throughout the whole year. The courses are run by a professionally trained instructor.

Therapeutic riding

Therapeutic riding is a pleasant experience for all participants, where a special connection between man and horse is created. Riding has many positive effects on motor skills and the psychosocial condition. It is a form of the so called dynamic treatment, focused on the person as whole mind, spirit). The aim is not only to cure or manage medical conditions or impairments but also to develop each individual’s potentials.

What is of key importance is the contact between two bodies, namely the interaction with the horse. The rider and the horse do not communicate verbally but they touch and feel each other. Thus the rider becomes conscious of the body movements and becomes self aware. Such awareness is in a way returning back to the world as the body functions as a tool for establishing relationships with the environment and thus the rider is able to gradually adjust to the environment.

The goals are:

Physical:

• improved motor skills, balance and coordination;

Mental:

• improved communication skills between group members,
• improved level of concentration and self-confidence,
• reduced sense of fear and anxiety;

Educational:

• improved vocabulary,
• improved long-term and short-term memory,
• improved perception of size, shape, colour etc.

Motivational:

• strengthens the desire to belong to a group
• improved communication skills
• a more active participation in activities

Therapeutic riding is intended for persons with mild to moderate physical and mental conditions. Some of the medical conditions and impairments that can experience significant improvement through therapeutic riding include:

• learning disabilities
• sensory integration disorders
• impaired balance responses
• impaired coordination
• impaired communication
• impaired sensorimotor function
• postural asymmetry

Hippotherapy

Hippotherapy is one of the fields of therapeutic riding. It is a neurophysiologically based therapy and is carried out by highly trained therapists.

Hippotherapy is intended for persons of all ages with impaired motor skills. It improves skill areas related to gross motor ability facilitates neurophysiologic systems that support all of the functional daily living skills.

Qualities of a therapeutic horse

A therapeutic horse must be well trained as well as calm, willing, sociable, responsive and patient. It must be used to loud laughter and shouting as well as to jumping and other unsteady movements on his back. That also means that it should be of appropriate age, well-socialised, without any negative past experience and not too shy or anxious.

The horse thus acts as an excellent therapist because it does not favour anybody. The horse’s reaction depends solely on the person’s approach: insecure, self-confident, aggressive... But nevertheless the horse reacts according to its kind. The horse never pretends and never punishes but it only backs away. The horse gives a lot but does not want anything in return and thus demands from an individual to be more honest and disciplined. Because of their typical behaviour of herd animals, because of their soft hair, beauty and body heat, they in a way kindly invite people to make contact.

The world seems more beautiful and accessible on horseback. When we overcome the fear and gain the needed knowledge, our faithful “therapist” takes us anywhere we want and helps us overcome our fears, limiting beliefs and personal obstacles.