Facilitation Technique Category: Therapeutic Horseback Riding

Activity Title: Therapeutic Horseback Riding: Stretching Exercises Involving 1)

Stretching of the Arms and Body, 2) Trunk Twisting/Body Stretches, and 3) Arms, Hands,
and Shoulders Stretches (While on a horse)
Source: Dattilo, J., & McKenney, A. (2011) Facilitation Techniques in Therapeutic
Recreation. State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc
Bachi, K. (2012). Equine-facilitated psychotherapy: The gap between practice and
knowledge. Society & Animals, 20(4), 364-380.
Equipment: Saddles, Reins, Lead Rope, and Appropriate Horse (that meets requirements
specified in Leadership Considerations)
Activity Description: Horses have been around for centuries, in ancient Greece horses
were not only used for transportation, but to alleviate suffering as well. Horseback rides
would be given to the incurable or untreatable to improve their spirits, and even though at
this time the signs of improvement may not have been scientifically explained, that does
not discredit the long history horses have had on helping to provide us with therapy.
Horseback riding has been proven to help people feel a sense of freedom and
independence, and an opportunity to control ones destiny, as well as allow mobility far
beyond previous capability, for individuals who have disabilities. Additionally, horses act
as a great form of a biofeedback machine, in the sense that they are able to mirror the
clients emotional state very well. For example if a client is nervous, the horse will then
also be nervous, so in this regard it is also a great tool in determining how, clients who
have difficulty expressing themselves, feel. The 4 main classified approaches to serving
people who have disabilities in Therapeutic Horseback Riding include: therapy,
education, sport, and recreation and leisure. And they address these approaches using
psychological, physical, social, and behavioral goals. The activity for this week involves
a variety of different stretching exercises performed on horseback, that will assist in
functionality off the horse, as well as improved control while on the horse too. The list of
different stretches include: 1) Stretching of the arms and body, 2) Trunk Twisting/Body
Stretches, and 3) Arms, Hands, and Shoulders Stretches. For the Stretches of the Hand
and Body, riders may be asked to touch their toes whole sitting on the horse. This type of
stretching can be accomplished by, having the riders touch their toes with their same side
hand, or by having riders touch their toes with the opposite-side hand. For the Body
Stretching exercise, trunk twisting will be involved, and this will be executed by having
the riders hold their arms out to their sides (at 90 degrees angles), while twisting from the
waist, with their trunk facing forward (first to the left, then to the right). This movement
is to be performed slowly and smoothly. And the last type of exercise that includes Arms,
Hands, and Shoulders Stretches occurs by moving wrists in circular motions, swinging
the arms backwards and forwards, moving arms in a circling motion (large and small
circles), an hand clapping (in front of and behind the trunk). All these exercises should be
performed on horseback while at rest in the beginning, and then can be adapted to being
performed while the horse is moving for more advanced results.

Leadership Considerations: A CTRS will function as an instructor for this activity, and
he/she will assist the client if any help is needed. If there are any limitations that a client
may have or that has already been diagnosed as having, it is essential that the CTRS
gather this information as early as possible. This is done so the leader can have time to
prepare/adjust the activities, according to the specific clients needs. The level of
closeness between the leader or between the clients is all up to the client, they can be as
far or as close as they feel comfortable being. In addition to the leader being CTRS
certified, they should also be certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic
Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) so that they may obtain the standards,
guidelines, and certifications required to better enhance their background in equine
therapy. Also, before the clients can even perform any of the exercises on the horse, it is
important for the leader to knowledgeable about the possibilities for mounting, and
having practiced them before attempting to help a rider for the first time. Additionally,
when using animals in therapy, there will always be an inherent risk because as well
know animals can only be controlled to a certain extent. With that being said, the
selection of the horse is essential in providing a safe environment. Therapy horses are
typically 5 years old (younger horses tend to be unpredictable, lack patience, and have
short attention spans), they should be 12-15.2 hands high (a hand is 4 inches), and have
good conformation (build or physique). When it comes to selecting a horse for the client,
the client considerations include: age, type of disability, services offered, available space
provided, and budget. Other environmental considerations include: the area where the
session occurs, safety maintenance (such as conducting safety checks to detects hazards
in the facility, and making sure all riders wear helmets), facilitator training (certifications
not required for all individuals whoa re part of the therapeutic riding team, but instructors
must be certified at an accredited therapeutic riding institution) and the different types of
equipment that may limit risks and provide comfort to the rider. Furthermore, being able
to determine is a horse is anxious or frustrated can prevent serious accidents from
occurring, so having a leader/instructor who has had ample time/experience with the
horses is essential in helping to ensure that a safe environment is present.
Adaptations: Participants with Cerebral Palsy: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a blanket term
that describes loss or impairment of motor function, which is caused by brain damage.
This type of brain damage is caused by brain injury or abnormal development of the brain
that occurs while a childs brain is still developing (before birth, during birth, or
immediately after birth). Cerebral Palsy affects body movement delays in reaching motor
skills milestones, such as pushing up on arms, sitting up alone or crawling), muscle
control, muscle coordination (difficulty walking/crouched gait), muscle tone (too stiff or
too floppy), reflex (tremors and involuntary movements/seizures), posture, balance, and
can also affect fine and gross motor skills, as well a oral motor functioning (excessive
drooling, problems swallowing, difficulty with sucking/eating, and delays in speech
development/difficulty speaking) (Casady & Nichols-Larsen, 2004). Now in regards to
possible adaptations for our activity, a lot of the adaptations have to do with the degree of
disability that each client has. For example some CP clients may have total paralysis or
limited movement, and may not be able to mount the horse, so for them we can have
them do driving activities with the horse, which is a form of therapeutic riding that

involves activities related to carriage driving (and is an exercise used for individuals who
are unable to ride a horse). While driving, clients can participate in different activities
like maneuvering through obstacle courses, dressage (which involves horsemanship
using slight movements to control horses direction and pace, and pleasure driving.
Additionally, for those who have more range of motion and can mount a horse (but have
difficulty maintaining their balance), they may use a safety belt or body harness. The
safety belt/body harness aides riders with poor posture or balance to maintain correct
positioning on the horse. For clients who have difficulty with maintaining their balance,
or just as a safety precaution in general, its always best to have a side helper/assistant,
helping to maintain the rider in proper position. The harness (for the body harness),
crisscrosses over the riders chest and back with a belt around the waist and handholds on
the belt. The side helper who walks beside the rider can grab onto the handholds and
correct positioning of the rider if the rider begins to lose balance (Dattilo & McKenney,
2011).
Adaptations: Participants With Expressive Language Disorder: Expressive Language
Disorder is a condition in which a child has a lower than normal ability in vocabulary,
producing complex sentences, and remembering words. It is important to note however,
that children with this disorder may have normal language skills needed to understand
verbal or written communication. Although the exact causes of this disorder is not well
known, damage to the brain, as well as malnutrition may be some possible causes, as well
as genetics also playing a determining role. This kind of disorder is common in children,
and symptoms may include: below average vocabulary skills, improper use of tenses
(past, present, future), problems making complex sentences, and problems remembering
words. People who have Expressive Language Disorder also commonly deal with
learning problems, low self-esteem, and social problems. Although our activity chosen
for this week is more functionally based, with a focus on physical improvements, clients
who have this from of disorder can also participate in other forms of engaging activities
with horses. For example, by adapting our activity to more equine-facilitated
psychotherapy approach, clients with expressive language disorder will be focused more
on simple engagement with the horse, rather than focusing just on riding a horse. Caring
for, and grooming horses, are both activities that fall under the equine-facilitated
psychotherapy category, and they are used to help clients really engage with the horse,
because horses are good biofeedback machines (providing the client and the therapist
with information regarding the clients moods and changes within those moods). Which
are essential for people who have this disability, because this is an area in which they
have the most difficulty expressing. Due to the fact that horses are such huge animals,
while you are caring for, and grooming the horse, you begin to notice the small intricacies
and nuances with each horse. Just the simple act of breathing, and their reaction to
humans, helps build a certain sense of connection between the client and animal, which
then assists the client in feeling that much closer to another living thing (which can
sometimes be something many have not experienced before). This interaction, combined
with the actual riding of the horse helps to build a certain bond/relationship between the
client and the horse, that although has not yet been scientifically proven, has been an
experience/connection that any people who have participated in this activity have
described as having. The second adaptation for clients who have this disorder is a saddle

pad. The saddle pad usually goes directly on top of the horses back, and they prevent the
horse from developing sores as well as provide a natural padding for the rider. The saddle
pad not only helps the rider feel the warmth of the horse, but it also helps the client to
exert extra strength in order to help themselves maintain correct posture/positioning on
the horse. For this adaptation, it is also helpful to always have an assistant (on each side
preferably) of the client to ensure that they maintain their position and for safety
(Macauley & Gutierrez, 2004).
Adaptations References
-Casady, R. L., & Nichols-Larsen, D. S. (2004). The effect of hippotherapy on ten
children with cerebral palsy. Pediatric Physical Therapy, 16(3), 165-172.
-Dattilo, J., & McKenney, A. (2011) Facilitation Techniques in Therapeutic Recreation.
State College, PA: Venture Publishing, In
-Macauley, B. L., & Gutierrez, K. M. (2004). The effectiveness of hippotherapy for
children with language-learning disabilities. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 25(4),
205-217.