Trio Therapy Partners specializes in the use of equine movement (hippotherapy) as a treatment tool. This unique and powerful tool is considered along with a variety of other therapy tools and strategies when your occupational or physical therapist develops your individualized plan of care with you.

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The term hippotherapy refers to how occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology professionals use evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning in the purposeful manipulation of equine movement as a therapy tool to engage sensory, neuromotor, and cognitive systems to promote functional outcomes.

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Why Equine Movement (Hippotherapy)? 

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• The average horse walks at a rate of approximately 100 steps per minute.  An individual receives 1,000 to 2,000 organized, rhythmic repetitions of three-dimensional movement when astride a horse for 10 to 20 minutes.
   

• The degrees of movement and planes of motion of a horse's spine are statistically similar to that of a human spine.
   

• Strength, muscle coordination, and sensory processing used for walking, talking, and the use of fine motor skills for activities of daily living and general attention to tasks can be positively impacted by equine movement.
   

• Integrated with additional neuro/sensorimotor techniques, equine movement is an effective treatment tool.  Common systems targeted by therapists are motor, sensory (including vestibular/balance), nervous, and cognitive (including speech/language).  The limbic, circulatory, and respiratory systems are also positively affected.