Recently, my friend, Gigi brought to my attention a form of therapy called hippotherapy. It is defined as: a form of physical, therapy in which a therapist uses the characteristic movements of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory input. Gigi owns a horse and discovered an organization in Austin Called R.E.D. which stands for Riding Equines for the Disabled. This past week we met with a therapist from R.E.D. to evaluate if I was a candidate for this type of therapy. She wants me to try it next Thursday. I think it will take at least that long to get my nerve up to get on a horse.
I asked the therapist, Jennifer, to write a paragraph on the benefits of this form of therapy. She wrote: “A disabled individual can attempt to benefit from the horses symmetrical, rhythmic weight shift through the pelvis. The horse is the only “equipment” that facilitates a pelvis through all three planes of motion—similar to the motion needed for walking. The pelvic muscles are stretched, activated and engaged the entire time the horse is walking. Working up from the pelvis, a person’s trunk is adjusting to the lateral weight shifts and counter rotations from the pelvis—again, similar to the motion needed while walking. As an individual gets stronger through this type of therapy and gains more symmetrical balance, therapy then uses this basic support to progress to the left side with range of motion, elongation, eccentric and concentric activations.”
If you have followed my blog you know that my issues center around weight shifting. I tell myself there is no magic bullet to get me walking correctly, but this just might help me improve my walking. I have to try it.
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