The Benefits Of Equine Therapy

Furthermore, research is demonstrating the promise that equine therapy holds for children with intellectual disabilities. Although equine therapy seems to be costly, when compared to traditional physical therapy methods, it can actually be less expensive. This means more families can afford equine therapy. With this in mind, it shows promise of becoming a standard form of early intervention for individuals with disabilities (Holmes, Goodwin, Redhead, & Goymour, 2012, p. 120). As the child ages, research is showing more and more support for equine therapy. It was mentioned previously how equine therapy can help a child in the classroom. Research shows that equine therapy can help a child in nearly every aspect of his or her life. Equine

Presently, equine therapy is becoming a popular topic in research, because of the incredible amount of potential it holds for individuals with disabilities. At present, equine therapy is not a well-known therapy technique. However, because of a large amount of research being done in recent years, people are starting to pay attention to the promise that this field holds. As mentioned previously, equine therapy may soon become the standard method for early intervention because not only is it somewhat less costly than other therapy methods, but the bond created has had positive effects on young children (Holmes, Goodwin, Redhead, & Goymour, 2012, p. 120). Another future equine therapy may have would be with psychotherapy. Horses have been known throughout the ages for their gentleness. For individuals recovering from mental illnesses, this gentle calm has a soothing effect (Frewin & Gardiner, 2005, p. 7). Equine therapy may be especially helpful to individuals with intellectual disabilities in the future. Many individuals with intellectual disabilities struggle with motor function; because of the stimulation provided by equine therapy, many experts in the field believe that equine therapy will be a popular method for helping individuals with intellectual disabilities meet their motor goals (Giagazoglou., Arabatzi, Dipla., Liga, & Kellis, 2012, p. 2266). Both of these studies have not only shown the

As someone who has worked in the equine therapy field for two years, I have witnessed first-hand the incredible power that equine therapy has. I have watched a young man put away his wheelchair after a year of therapeutic riding. I helped a young lady with severe intellectual disabilities learn how to speak by communicating with her during her hippotherapy sessions. Through my research, I was able to see how equine therapy could help individuals in many different ways, besides with just motor and language skills. Research is starting to recognize equine therapy as a successful form of early intervention, because of its reduced cost and the stimulating movements of the horse. Children are able to better focus in school because they are able to apply the focus needed to complete a riding lesson to their schoolwork. Equine therapy is well on its way to being a popular, successful means of therapy and intervention for children with disabilities. However, there are some areas that need improvement. Few people know about the tremendous power of equine therapy because there are few advocates for it. Research on equine therapy is showing amazing results. More people need to hear about how equine therapy is making a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities. With this in mind, more research needs to be done on the topic. I found it somewhat challenging to