Abstract
Hippotherapy is a method of intervention that uses purposeful manipulation of equine movement to stimulate clients’ sensory, neuromotor, and cognitive systems to enhance performance in functional activities (American Hippotherapy Association, 2020). Horses have a similar walking pace to humans, taking approximately 100 strides per minute (American Hippotherapy Association, 2020). Using hippotherapy for 15-20 minutes elicits 1000-2500 neuromotor inputs to the client, prompting automatic responses to maintain their position (American Hippotherapy Association, 2020; Koca & Ataseven, 2016). Research supports the use of hippotherapy as a treatment tool to improve areas such as strength, mobility, muscle coordination, and sensory processing when utilized by licensed professionals, including occupational therapists (American Hippotherapy Association, 2020). One of the more common conditions treated with hippotherapy is cerebral palsy (CP) (Hemachithra, et al., 2020). Cerebral palsy is the most prevalent motor disability among children, occurring in 1-4 per 1000 children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of occupational therapy intervention through hippotherapy on postural control for children with cerebral palsy. The analysis showed that children with CP who received hippotherapy intervention had significant reductions in hip adductor tone and improvements in hip range of motion and overall improved postural control and balance (Chinniah et al., 2020; Hemachithra et al., 2020; Herrero et al., 2012; Vidal Prieto et al., 2021).