Equine Therapy (aka Hippotherapy)

[Jabberwocky]

Therapy or Quackery?

What makes it legit? Is it enough for the horse trainer to be in recovery themselves, or should there also be a trained and licensed therapist involved, at least if it is going to be presented or intended as anything approaching the word therapy?

See the following:

• http://psychcentral.com/lib/equine-assisted-psychotherapy-healing-therapy-or-just-hype/

• In an article on hippotherapy, Tuttle (1987) stated that research on the effect and application of the various forms of therapeutic horseback riding is needed to refine program planning, and to support funding and third party reimbursement. Furthermore, a workshop on “The Health Benefits of Pets” sponsored by the National Institutes of Health concluded that “solid data on the success of therapeutic riding is limited. ... Future research is indicated to compare the efficacy of therapeutic riding with other clinical treatment procedures that do not involve the horse and to validate dramatic clinical observations” (NIH, 1983). Additionally, in an article published in the Journal of American Veterinarian Medicine Association, Potter and colleagues (1994) stated that “Lack of scientific documentation of the benefits of therapeutic riding is a major obstacle that must be overcome. ... Research is critically needed in all aspects of therapeutic riding”.

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animals-and-us/201411/does-animal-assisted-therapy-really-work
• http://www.asatonline.org/research-...-review-of-the-effectiveness-of-hippotherapy/

 

[catfishjake]

I did two sessions of equine therapy in rehab. The facilitator was a licensed therapist and in recovery. We didn't ride the horses but did several different activities like putting a harness on them without speaking to our teammates, leading them around and then letting the horse lead us. She would then ask us questions like what kind of behaviours did we notice with the horse and with our teammates and then relate it to recovery. It was kind of elementary stuff. It just depended if you were willing to get something out of it.

There were some ppl who were really afraid of the horses but you could tell being able to approach them in a safe, guided environment helped them get out of their comfort zone and maybe feel better about themselves that they had done so.

Im glad I got to experience it.

 

[MrRoot]

In my opinion even walking in the forest, frisbee golfing or grilling sausages can be therapeutical if done in the right way by a good instructor.

 

[Jabberwocky]

They have been using that here in Canada for at least 10 years. I know a few that have went and found it very helpful but as Mr Root said nature can be therapeutic by the right instructor.
The one I know of uses ex military that's also a therapist.

 

[cj]

Total quackery. Just another way to separate insurance companies from there money.

 

[Jabberwocky]

In my opinion even walking in the forest, frisbee golfing or grilling sausages can be therapeutical if done in the right way by a good instructor.

I moved to the forest from the city and that in itself was more therapeutic then any medication

 

[herbavore]

I think pairing people that have been victimized (by anything from childhood abuse to combat to bullying) with pets that have also been victimized by neglect or abuse is one of the most powerful healers. I am thinking here of incarcerated people fostering/rehabilitating abused dogs, combat vets being paired in the same way with abused pitbulls trained to only fight etc. The healing aspects of human animal relationships is amazing even when neither has suffered but when PTSD is involved for both or either they are simply downright miraculous. I also agree with sweetyjane and Mr Root that nature itself is a very understated healer of the wounded human soul. Nature reminds us that whatever fuckfest we are suffering in our human lives she is always there for the bigger picture, breathing calmly, serene in change as much as in stasis. She is what came before, what is ever now and what will be long after even the planet that holds us all is gone. What is truly remarkable is that humans can get so disconnected from nature that an urban street or a suburban mall can be more familiar (thus representing "home") than a forest or a beach or a desert.

 

[Prescottdave]

I know one of my family members who used to work for the NM state government said most of the sate funded treatment facilities discontinued equine assisted therapy because it lacked the type of conclusive research required to back an evidenced based treatment.