Hippotherapy

Hippotherapy

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
— Winston Churchill

A Unique Sensory Integration Therapy in Orlando

LifeSkills has come to embrace hippotherapy! 

HippotherapyHippotherapy literally means “treatment with the help of a horse”.  Using the movement of the horse in therapy is not new – it has been practiced around the world for 40 years.

Hippotherapy is a treatment strategy used by therapists to meet the needs of clients who need organized motor and sensory input.  Equine movement provides multi-dimensional movement, which is variable, rhythmic and repetitive; movement of the horse influences an adaptive response in the patient. The occupational therapist incorporates the movement of the horse in a manner that leads to significant functional change! Hippotherapy helps individuals with sensory processing disorder, difficulty with establishing a calm state, posture, fine and gross motor skills, balance, bilateral coordination, and other issues.

For hippotherapy, specialized certification of a licensed therapist is required, because it is part of the person’s overall therapy plan following evaluation and the setting of functional goals. It differs from therapeutic riding, which teaches specific riding skills.

Our partner for administering Hippotherapy is Freedom Ride on Lee Road in Orlando. Sessions follow the school calendar.

Please give us a call for more information: 407-629-9455