EQUINE ASSISTED THERAPY (PT/OT/SLP)

 

In EAT (Equine-assisted therapy) the therapist uses the movement of the horse as one of many clinical tools to address the patient’s challenges, such as deficits in balance, strength, endurance, coordination, communication, and attention. This therapy does not teach riding skills; rather the goals are geared towards independence with activities of daily living and increased participation in family, school and community life.

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Physical Therapy

• The physical therapist can overlay a variety of motor tasks on the horse’s movement to address the motor needs of each patient and to promote functional outcomes in skill areas related to gross motor ability such as sitting, standing, and walking.

 

Occupational Therapy

• The occupational therapist is able to combine the effects of the equine movement with other standard intervention strategies to work on fine motor control, sensory integration, feeding skills, play skills, attention and self-regulation skills, and functional daily living skills in a progressively challenging manner.

 

Speech Therapy (currently only offered at the Colorado location)

• The speech-language pathologist utilizes the movement of the horse to facilitate improved respiratory function, breath control, and oral-motor function. These effects are combined with standard speech and language intervention techniques to target articulation, fluency, and auditory processing. Using the natural environment, the therapist also addresses expressive language, receptive language, and social pragmatics.

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ADAPTIVE RIDING

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Adaptive Riding is recreational horseback riding lessons for individuals with special needs. Riders learn horsemanship and riding skills in an environment tailored to their individual needs and learning styles. We offer instruction to riders of all skill levels, from providing someone's first contact with a horse to advanced independent riders. The goals for those in the adaptive riding program are riding-skill based, but individuals and parents often report many therapeutic benefits of participation. These benefits include improvements in physical strength, balance, coordination, mobility, self-confidence, self-control, peer interaction, and social skills.

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WHO CAN BENEFIT:

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Children ages 2+ and adults diagnosed with:

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• Autism

• Developmental delay or disability

• ADD/ADHD

• Learning disability

• Cerebral Palsy

• Down syndrome

• Emotional, behavioral, or mental health issue

• Head trauma/brain injury

• Hearing impairment

• Visual impairment

• Genetic conditions/disorders

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Intellectual disability

• Youth identified as “at-risk”

• Stroke

• PTSD

• Muscular Dystrophy

• Spina Bifida

• Paralysis

• Spinal cord injury

• Amputation

• and many others!

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