| t a pony. That simple sentence has been uttered | | | | horse. |
| from many children’s lips over the years. A | | | | Children benefit in other ways as well. The simple |
| horse can be a great pet for a child. They learn | | | | acts of washing and grooming a horse can be |
| about love, companionship, nurturing, relationships, and | | | | therapeutic. It can also tech them motor skills, social |
| responsibility from owning their own pony or horse. | | | | skills, and responsibility. A child learns that their horse |
| But no children benefit more from horses than those | | | | needs their care as much as they need the care the |
| with special needs. Different types of needs are dealt | | | | horses can give them. |
| with in different ways with horses and children. | | | | If your child has visual problems, hearing problems, |
| One of the ways that horses benefit these special | | | | physical or even emotion and mental issues, consider |
| needs children is called Hippotherapy. According to | | | | the therapeutic benefits of a program that uses |
| medical experts “Hippotherapy is a physical, | | | | horses to help children with these special needs. If |
| occupational and speech therapy treatment strategy | | | | you know of a program that does this in your area, |
| that utilizes equine movement. Hippotherapy is utilized | | | | please support them generously. These children need |
| as part of an integrated treatment program to | | | | the programs that allow them to interact and learn |
| achieve functional outcomes.” | | | | with horses. |
| “In Hippotherapy, the patient engages in | | | | The skills they obtain benefit them throughout their |
| activities on the horse that are enjoyable and | | | | entire life. It improves their quality of life as a child as |
| challenging. Specific riding skills are not taught, but | | | | they lean to be more confident, learn motor skills, |
| rather a foundation is established to improve | | | | and learn how to move their body through space. |
| neurological function and sensory processing.” | | | | The latter can lead to participation in other |
| Children with “improved sensory | | | | extracurricular activities your child needs. |
| processing”, a disease which causes extreme | | | | All of this leads to better social skills and behavior as |
| discomfort to all five senses can learn to cope | | | | well as improving their lack of self-esteem because |
| through interaction with horses. Children with cerebral | | | | of their inability to do certain things. It shows them |
| palsy can learn to deal with their physical challenges | | | | what they CAN do, rather than what they cannot do. |
| through horseback riding as well. | | | | I hope this article encourages you to get your child |
| Children who have physical disabilities benefit from | | | | enrolled in a program that allows them to be around |
| mounting and riding horses because it stretches their | | | | horses. Even if your child has no special needs or |
| muscles and has been known to improve posture | | | | disabilities, the benefit of learning the skills of |
| dramatically. Riding a horse actually simulates the | | | | horseback riding and the care of horses is |
| action of walking, so children who cannot walk on | | | | irreplaceable. Some say man’s best friend is a |
| their own gain the benefits of walking by riding a | | | | dog. I know horses would disagree. |