The Healing Horse

The horse has inspired awe and admiration in humans for centuries. For its great beauty, its tremendous power and it willingness to work hard beside its human partners, the horse has earned unique respect and even passion. The horse is also an amazingly intuitive creature, capable of sensing and responding to the slights signals and emotions from humans. It is this capacity that has helped human and horse form a bond of trust that can quite literally “lift” the human spirit.

The healing capacity of the horse goes beyond the emotional well being and confidence they can inspire. Research has shown measurable health benefits from “Hippotherapy”. Horses have shown a unique ability to improve function with neuromuscular disorders.

The term Hippotherapy comes from the Greek word “hippos” meaning horse, so it literally means therapy treatment with a horse. While man has enjoyed the emotional and physical benefits of riding for centuries, actual Hippotherapy has only been in use for a relatively short time. Hippotherapy uses the three-dimensional movement of the walking horse to stimulate the rider’s balance and muscular control. The rhythmic, continuous motion of the horse provides a multitude of sensation that promotes relaxation, stretching and mobility.

The skilled therapist can capitalize on the natural movement of the horse and combine it with traditional neuro-developmental and sensory techniques. Above and beyond the medical benefits, one of the best and most obvious benefits of therapeutic riding is that it’s just plain fun. When you see LMU instructors and riders tossing balls and blowing bubbles or trail riding through the woods on a glorious fall day, achieving medical goals may seem only a secondary benefit.

At Lift Me Up! (LMU!), we have found the union of the horse and rider can make some remarkable results — many stretching far beyond the physical. Our riders gain a sense of independence which they could not achieve by any other means than by being on top of their warm and supportive horses.