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I believe it was Winston Churchill who once said "there is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." While Churchill may not have had equine-assisted therapy in mind, the impact it can have on the life and independence of a child or adult with disability can be important. According to a recent study out of Washington University, therapeutic riding, and particularly hippotherapy (an intensive one-on-one therapy with horse, physical therapist and rider) can have a significant and positive impact on children and adults with Cerebral Palsy. 

With Cerebral Palsy, individuals experience weakened muscle tone and a loss of muscle elasticity, which can result in atrophied muscles and compromised to almost completely limited movement over time. Equine-assisted therapy can help change this, improving balance, posture, muscle strength, overall movement, and it can have positive emotional and psychological benefits. Best of all, the benefits of equine-assisted therapy last - one study shows that riders with Cerebral Palsy experience benefits that last as long as seven weeks after a program session!

For more information on how horses help people, visit www.horsesandhumans.org or experience the magic first hand by visiting C A R D (www.card.ca), or your local therapeutic riding centre.