Study: Horse Riding a Viable Treatment for Children with Cerebral Palsy

A new study out of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology suggests that hippotherapy (therapy involving horse riding) is a viable treatment for children with cerebral palsy. Children with this condition often have difficulty with movement and posture. Different types of therapies may help improve movement and balance in individuals with cerebral palsy.

The study was led by a team of researchers from Korea and the United States, and published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation in September 2021. Over the course of eight hippotherapy sessions, the team studied the mobility and motor skills of four children. Researchers placed sensors on the backs of the children and the horses to record their movements. The team noticed that as the therapy progressed, the horses and children became synchronized in their movements. Researchers also administered mobility tests and saw improvement in the children’s motor skills after the eight hippotherapy sessions were completed.

“We found that physical interaction between the children with CP and the horses, characterized by the children adapting to the horse’s movement and vice versa, is extremely important for the rehabilitation to be effective,” says Dr. Hur.

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