Anxiety management through hippotherapy in children with developmental disorders

Abstract

A large number of children with developmental disorders show symptoms of anxiety compared to children with normal development. High levels of stress weaken relationships with people around these children, thus limiting the social interaction they may have. In addition to having higher anxiety overall, children with developmental disorders also have a higher comorbidity of anxiety with other disorders. Hippotherapy is an intervention, which uses the natural gait and movement of a horse to provide motor, and sensory stimulation. It is a unique treatment strategy for children with disabilities, as it improves movement coordination and posture control. By improving movement, children with disabilities gain confidence and sense of security which helps them to deal with stress.