Equine Assisted Therapy, a.k.a. Hippotherapy is a wonderful way to provide speech therapy while exposing a child or adult to the experience of riding a horse.   The walking motion of the horse provides sensory input effecting muscle tone and function, respiratory control, timing and posture, which is used in combination with traditional clinical methods to achieve desired results.   Communication disorders and sensory processing difficulties are usually two frequently addressed areas of need for children with developmental delays/disorders. It has been documented that intense vestibular stimulation improves processing in the brain.   Speech and Language goals can be addressed both on and off the horse.   Some of the benefits of using Equine Assisted Therapy to facilitate Speech and Language development include:

• Respiratory and oral motor function
• Attention and arousal
• More normalized muscle tone and postural support
• Increased verbal output
• Cognitive-linguistic functioning
• Pragmatic skills
• Receptive and expressive language
• Increased response time
• Improved articulation, intonation and voice quality
• Decreased drooling

Most importantly, children are more likely to participate and work toward achieving their speech and language goals, when the goals are combined with a motivating activity.

Please refer to the American Hippotherapy Association and North American Riding for the Handicapped Association websites.