A Study of Therapeutic Effects of Horseback Riding for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Implications of the Literature on Equine-Assisted Activities for Use as a Complementary Intervention in Social Work Practice with Children and Adolescents

“…Bertoti's study (1988) of therapeutic riding with young children with cerebral palsy reported qualitative psychosocial findings of decreased fear of movement. One wellcontrolled study of therapeutic riding with children with cerebral palsy by Mackinnon et al (1995b) did not find statistically significant physical or psychosocial benefits (psychosocial outcomes were measured using the Vineland socialization subscale and the Harter Self-Perception Scale), but found qualitative reports of such psychosocial outcomes as improved self-confidence, cooperation, and tolerance for novelty among participants with mild cerebral palsy. One qualitative finding of increased aggression was also reported for this sub-group, and was reported to increase concomitantly with self-confidence, leading the investigator to suggest that the increase in self-confidence may have facilitated aggressive acting out among children who continued to experience deficits in impulse-and language-mediated means of affective expression.…”

A vision-oriented approach for innovative product design

“…Literature indicates that children with cerebral palsy could derive considerable benefits from horseback riding therapy and the swimming therapy which also provide recreational programs [53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61]. Patent survey of tricycles and bicycles provides a knowledge base for viable engineering solutions.…”

The Effect of Hippotherapy on Functional Outcomes for Children with Disabilities: A Pilot Study

“…McGibbon 14 noted statistically significant improvement in the Energy Expenditure Index during gait and in Gross Motor Function Scores in 5 children with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. Toffola 9 and MacKinnon et al 10 conducted the only studies to date to use a control group, but found no statistically significant results; however, it should be noted that the sample sizes in their studies were small.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The psychological effects positively influence self-confidence, self-concept, self-esteem, motivation, attention span, spatial awareness, concentration, interest in learning, and verbal skills. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] The movements of the horse combined with the warmth of the horse's body provide deep proprioception and other sensory input and facilitate tone reduction. 1,2 The horse's center of gravity is displaced during walking in a 3-dimensional pattern, which is similar to the action of the human pelvis during gait.…”