alternative therapy
JULY, 2018 | The HEALTH
29
The horse
provides therapy
in Hippotherapy
REEN Apple Hippotherapy,
a form of equine-assisted
therapy to improve muscle
tone, speech and other func-
tions started its operation in
2014.
Today, it helps both adult and children
with cerebral palsy, developmental delay,
autism spectrum disorder, cerebral
atrophy, acquired brain injury, traumatic
brain injury, epilepsy, down syndrome,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), dyspraxia, learning and lan-
guage disabilities and sensory processing
disorders.
Located at Malaysian Arm Forces
Equestrian Club (MAFEC), its chief
executive officer Iliza Ikhbal pointed out Iliza Ikhbal with Rose.
that the therapy is in fact not an alterna-
tive therapy as perceived by many but
actually a recognised medical treatment
as practiced in the United States and
Europe.
Each session, she said is usually
conducted by three persons; a horse
leader, licensed physiotherapist, speech
therapist or an occupational therapist
(OT) and a side worker. The horse leader
would lead the horse, the therapist would
be on the left side while the side worker
will assist the therapist on the right side. A child assisted by a horse leader, a therapist
G
and a side worker.
Two therapist holding one to a child
who is seated facing backwards as
he tries to hold on to the ring.
Each stretch is approximately 30 min-
utes consisting of forward, backwards,
sideward, up and down movements.
“Children don’t feel that they’re under-
going rehabilitation while seated on the
horse although they’re participating in
activities such as leaning forward, side-
ward and sometimes backwards which
helps to improve the child’s posture and
increase muscle strength for those who
slouch.”
“An average horse would take at least
a 120 steps per minute. This times by a
half-an-hour session is 2000 over steps.”
“For those having speech difficulties;
it is not the brain alone that is involved.
It actually takes the whole body to work
to articulate words and sentences. When
a child gets on the horse, we work on
their posture, breathing, sequencing and
coordination.”
“With that kind of repetition, it is
actually giving 2000 over chances for the
brain to make connections. And that is
impossible to replicate in a clinical set-
ting,” she said.
As for down syndrome, she explained
that they normally have a different gait
pattern with gravitational insecurities,
whereby their balance is not good.
“Hippotherapy helps by working on
their gait pattern in addition to improving
self-confidence.
“One fact about the horse is actually
their pelvic movement which is similar
to the human gait. So, when you get onto
the horse with that kind of repetition, it
actually creates neural pathways.”
For adults, she gave an example of a
30-year old rider who suffers from left
hemiplegia as a result of stroke.
“Rehabilitation would focus on the
affected side.”
“You have no choice but to use the
affected side also as you get onto the
horse and to actually keep balanced
with every movement the horse is taking
which prompts the affected side to work
as well. This stimulates the nerves and
muscles while creating new pathways to
link the brain to the affected side which
will be working more efficiently like how
it was before,” she added.
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