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Therapeutic Benefits

The educational and health benefits of the program are clear and documented by outside professional experts. Benefits of therapeutic riding for the physically and mentally impaired include:

• Increases self-esteem by permitting the rider to do an activity that many able-bodied people do not have the opportunity to do.
• Improves Posture: Riding encourages a good posture alignment. This is required by the nature of the activity.
• Improves:
  • Balance through transition from one gait to another gait.
  • Coordination by turning, stopping, use of reins and various mounted gains.
  • Proprioception through the use of mounted exercises.
  • Gross motor skills by teaching proper use of reins, positioning of feet and legs, as well as mounted exercises.
  • Fine motor skills through exercises.
  • Range of motion using riding skills, games and exercises.
  • Verbalization by encouraging students to ask their horses to "Walk on", "Whoa", etc.
  • Right and left discrimination by turning circles, weaving poles, reversing their horses.
  • Passive stretch of involved muscle groups:
  • Upper-abdominals, biceps, triceps, pectorals, etc.
  • Lower-abductors, hamstrings, calves, heel cords, etc

Additional benefits for the mentally impaired include:

• Exercise and Health:
  It is common for the MI population to be limited in exercise activity and opportunity. Riding provides a good chance for exercise, especially if there is some attempt at participation from the rider.
• Socialization, Relationships, and Group Interaction:
  These individuals tend to be underdeveloped in skills related to behavior with other people. Riding provides opportunity to form relationships with both humans and horses. It helps with the adjustment of inappropriate behaviors, which can range from improper displays of affection, physical responses, or vulgarity.
• Tactile Stimulation, Visual Stimulation, and Auditory Stimulation:
  All cognitive functions are delayed, slow, or non-existent. Processing is extremely slow. These individuals need steady, but low-pressure stimulation with a lot of repetition. With a large animal body, the horse provides this naturally.
• Vocalization:
  It is common for MI individuals to volunteer no speech at all. Riding can encourage vocalization between them and their instructor, them and their volunteer, and most importantly, them and their horse.
• Break in Routine and Integration into Community:
  Institutions tend to rely on routine. These individuals learn to react or respond due to the same repetitive cues. Getting out into society can be a big step toward independence.
• Recreation, Positive Encouragement:
  Everyone needs leisure time to explore interests and fun activities.
• Control, Decision Making, and Following Directions:
  Behavioral problems are frequently accompanying mental impairment. Riding can encourage riders to behave in order to ride. A sense of responsibility and control can be a large stimulant for progression. Riders are allowed as much control as possible dependent on the severity of disability.
• Physical Benefits:
  These include a wide variety: balance, coordination, body alignment, body awareness, special awareness, directions (right, left), muscle strength and stretch, posture, range of motion, and flexibility. Documentation has already proven the physical benefits for any individual.
• Dealing with Change:
  Again, routine is key. In the program there is always some change involved. We ride different horses, have different instructors, different volunteers, etc. This can be hard for the impaired to adjust to and understand.
• Confidence and Self-Esteem:
  The sense of accomplishment is unparalleled when you can get this large animal to listen to you and respond. It truly builds up an individual who rarely gets to be in control.
  

In addition to the general benefits listed above, individuals with cognitive impairments have been gained many additional benefits from therapeutic riding.