Role of Therapists at C.A.N.T.E.R
(Physical, Occupational, Psychotherapists)

          Therapists who work in the CANTER program serve as consultants to the riding instructors.  They work closely with the instructors to assure that therapeutic goals are met during the riding sessions.  They also provide direct therapy to students who are riding by serving as side-walkers to students who require the therapists’ direct involvement.  None of the therapists currently bill individual riders, because the sessions are not considered hippotherapy sessions, they are considered therapeutic riding sessions. 

Therapeutic Riding:

Therapeutic Riding is a recognized form of treatment for the disabled and encompasses a variety of activities. The medical applications are Hippotherapy and Riding Therapy.

Hippotherapy:

In Hippotherapy, the student is passively influenced by the warmth and motion of the horse. The three dimensional movement of the horse's walk is transferred to the rider and serves to relax and strengthen muscles and improve circulation. This motion alternately tenses and relaxes muscles and limbers up the joints of the spinal column.

Riding Therapy:

In Riding Therapy, the student actively performs exercises on the horse. The exercises are supervised according to a plan of treatment developed by the therapist. Physiotherapeutic exercises can be divided into stretching, relaxing, and strengthening. Additional exercises will influence equilibrium, reflexes, coordination, posture and confidence. Vaulting exercises can be introduced to develop the sensory-motor skills of certain individuals. Psychologically, Riding Therapy develops self-awareness, self-discipline and improves concentration. The bond between horse and rider provides strong motivation for achievement like no other form of therapy.

Vaulting:

Vaulting is gymnastics on the back of a moving horse. Students perform static and dynamic moves adapted to the individual's abilities. These moves are eventually developed into a routine, often to music.
Vaulting develops motor planning, sequencing, strength and self-confidence. Vaulting is a team activity. The vaulters, the horse and the handler all work together to develop a routine. Students learn communication, cooperation and trust. Consideration for other team members (including the horse) is an important aspect of vaulting. Vaulting is very challenging both physically and emotionally. It is also great fun.

Occupational Therapy and Hippotherapy (with the horse)

            In the school, expensive equipment and elaborate activities are developed to provide sensory integrative activities in occupational therapy.  On horseback, goals are natural and spontaneous.  A steady stream of tactile (deep and light touch), proprioceptive (joint movement), vestibular (rotary and linear movements), visual, auditory, and olfactory (smell) is provided to the client through the experience of riding a horse.  Hippotherapy (therapy using a horse) provides meaningful and relevant activities in pursuit of function.  All movement tasks stress good postural alignment and controlled graded movement patterns, with movement quality in midrange positions emphasized.  In the beginning, the physically challenged client may not initiate and maintain specific physical movements.  Graded activities provide the correct amount of movement challenge.  The client maintains alignment in various postures to develop functional motor control.  Clients who have progressed in motor control, strength and ability to listen, follow directions, take a more active role in varied aspects of their riding session.  Horseback riding provides the occupational therapist with tools to increase the client’s ability to be successful in life’s occupations.  The client with emotional needs finds the therapy sessions fun even though they are working on increasing attention and frustration tolerance, assertive skills, bonding with the team and with a horse.  We can often motivate these clients to attend school, complete work, be respectful, etc. by generalizing the skills learned in the therapy session into the classroom.  Hippotherapy is challenging for the client, it is motivating, it provides immediate feedback and it is FUN.