Hippotherapy

Hippotherapy? I'm interested about going into the field called hippotherapy? It's a form of therapy using the movement of a horse for children/adults with physical disabilities. It is really amazing. It helps with a lot of things. Physically, hippotherapy can improve balance, posture, mobility and function. Hippotherapy may also affect psychological, cognitive, behavioral and communication functions for clients of all ages. Clients who may benefit from hippotherapy can have a variety of diagnoses: examples include Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Developmental Delay, Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, Autism and Learning or Language Disabilities. However, hippotherapy is not for every client. Each potential client must be evaluated on an individual basis by specially trained health professionals. (http://www.americanequestrian.com/hippotherapy.htm) (Backround info) Has anyone completed a program for that? Has anyone heard of it before? Or am I like the single person whos heard of it? haha

How can I open a hippotherapy riding center? I would like to open a hippotherapy riding center although I am neither a therapist nor a cerfitied riding instructor. Can I still draw up a business plan (for financing) and state that I will be employing a therapist? What about a riding instructor, do I need to also have A certified instructor in order to provide this service? Thanks. PS: I went on the NARHA website but could not figure out if I had to have a certification for opening such a business.

I am an OT student interested in getting experience in hippotherapy.? I live in Bryan, TX and I would like to find out who do I contact to get more information on this type of therapy.

Can anyone help me compare Hippotherapy Vs. Physical Therapy? Im trying to use Hippotherapy for my social studies fair topic but i would like to show the effects of Hippotherapy and how they differ from the effects of basic Physical Therapy.

Does hippotherapy actually work? I've read about hippotherapy, but if it works why isn't it more well known?

What is Hippotherapy? How does Hippotherapy work? Where can i find more about it?

Hippotherapy camps or Therapeutic Riding camps (2+ weeks) for children in England or Scotland? + Must be affiliated with the International Association for Handicapped Riding or similar +Must accept children ages 5+

hippotherapy?what do you think about it?

Are there any organisations with sponsorships/family hosts to bring a US special needs child + parent to UK? Looking for a program designed to help a child experience a new culture in a same-language setting, or attend a therapy (such as horseback therapy/hippotherapy). o Needs to be in England o Looking for host families with special needs experience o For the summer (4 weeks to 6 weeks)

a question for experienced horse show ppl? i was volunteering at a show hosted as a fund raiser by our local hippotherapy center. i was working concessions when i saw a guy trying to lounge his horse. i watched as he tried w/o avail to get the animal moving. well, he got frustrated at the horse's uncooperativeness, he jerked the horse's lead short, and w/alot of, if not all of, his strength, took the lounge whip and waylaid the horse in the neck w/it! after i complained to several of the other eventers, i was taken aside by the center's barn manager n told that she didn't agree w/alot of what the eventers did, but i had no right to complain, as i was only volunteering, and in not so many words to 'bite my tongue'. i was never asked to volunteer at the center for any other activity. i admit, i don't own a horse. but i do know ur not supposed to use the lounge whip for actively punishing the horse. was i right to say something, or should i have been a good lil newbie n bit my tongue?

Hippo therapy? Ever heard of it? "Hippo" meaning Horse in Latin? When I was interning in college I had the priveledge of participating in a program in Andover, MA considered a riding therapy program (hippotherapy) for credit. It was the best experience of my life. I got to teach blind children tactile tasks, (stroking horse, grooming horse etc), behavioral therapy, (ritual feeding and grooming and stall upkeep) to actually having children with severe cognitive and physical disabilities actually riding the horse for physical benefits, RE: the rocking motion of the horse to strengthen muscles, and much, much more. Has anyone ever participated in this? I have heard that you need to be a physical therapist to even work in this feild and that there are only two colleges in the country that teach this art? Any feedback, comments, experience, advice, etc? If I could do it all over again....

Hippo therapy? Ever heard of it? "Hippo" meaning Horse in Latin? When I was interning in college I had the priveledge of participating in a program in Andover, MA considered a riding therapy program (hippotherapy) for credit. It was the best experience of my life. I got to teach blind children tactile tasks, (stroking horse, grooming horse etc), behavioral therapy, (ritual feeding and grooming and stall upkeep) to actually having children with severe cognitive and physical disabilities actually riding the horse for physical benefits, RE: the rocking motion of the horse to strengthen muscles, and much, much more. Has anyone ever participated in this? I have heard that you need to be a physical therapist to even work in this feild and that there are only two colleges in the country that teach this art? Any feedback, comments, experience, advice, etc? If I could do it all over again.... These answers are great. I am going to have a hard time picking one, you are all very knowledgeble. Thank you!