Tuesday 15 May 2012

Hippotherapy


Finally a something a little different from the animal world. Hippotherapy is a form of occupational, physical and speech therapy that utilizes the characteristic movements of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory input. Apparently a horses pelvis has a similar 3-dimensional movement to the humans pelvis at a walk. As explained in this video, it is this movement which is tailored to each clients individual needs to set a course of treatment designed around what sensory or motor deficits are requiring work. Pretty cool huh! New Zealand has its own hippotherapy centre in Auckland  http://www.totaraparkrda.org.nz/who_can_benefit.htm, hopefully I will get a placement with them!

4 comments:

  1. Hi Amanda,
    This is a really intriguing concept! Are there anymore Hippotherapy centers in New Zealand? If there are not, do you think that this is a valuable form of therapy that should be extended on in NZ?

    Thanks Hannah

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  2. Hi Hannah, I know there are quite a few Riding for the Disabled Centres around NZ but hippotherapy requires specialised therapists so am not sure as to any others apart from Auckland. Definately something that could work well in other parts of NZ though.

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