Welcome to Heal-OT
Hippotherapy-Equine Assisted Learning
Occupational Therapy
Where will the road take you !
Transforming lives through Equine Assisted Occupational Therapy & Hippotherapy
We offer a unique blend of equine-assisted learning occupational therapy and hippotherapy services, harnessing the therapeutic power of horses to facilitate physical, emotional, and cognitive development in individuals. Our comprehensive approach integrates evidence-based occupational therapy techniques with the profound benefits of interacting with horses, promoting sensory integration, motor skills development, emotional regulation, and social interaction. Through tailored sessions, we empower clients to achieve their therapeutic goals in a dynamic outdoor environment, fostering growth, independence, and well-being.
Hippotherapy is used as an intervention, by a Qualified Occupational Therapist.
The Occupational Therapist (OT) uses the horse’s movement to enable motor and sensory input to the rider.
Hippotherapy has been used to treat children/adults with disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, head injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, autism, and some behavioural disorders.
Sarah completes initial assessment and integrates a Hippotherapy programme suited for the child/adult’s individual needs, along with using other therapy tools and/or strategies.
Hippotherapy as an intervention has demonstrated its potential through research.
Hippotherapy assists with developing :
Mobility and improving balance
Increasing trunk control and postural stability
Improving hand and eye coordination
Promoting visual- motor integration skills
Assisting with gross and fine motor skills
Upper extremtieis and hand skills
Promoting relaxation to assist with muscle tone and anxieties.
Along with many physical benefits, there are psychological, behavioural and communication advantages, by using Hippotherapy. Promoting the child/adult to use the terms " walk on " and "whoa" promotes a response and allows for control over the environment. This allows for development with enhancing communication and coping skills.
Promoting Sensory Integration:
Tactile, Auditory, Vestibular, Smell, Taste, and Proprioceptive feedback.
The therapy starts with the child/adult sitting on the horse. This ensures a good base of support to motivate the physical, sensory, cognitive, and emotional systems. Sitting on the horse without a saddle at a walking pace, can assist with neurological function, sensory processing and promote relaxation.
Sarah then works together with the trained horse and team. By choosing a Hippotherapy programme specific for the individual, after initial assessment.
Each session tends to last for 30 to 40 minutes dependent on the individual. Completed within a riding school arena.
The programme consists of using the horse's natural rhythm, pace, and repetition of the movement to obtain results. Sarah then grades the changing of the rider’s position on the horse, which can be front facing, side sitting, rear facing or lying down to achieve results required. These developments can then be transferable to a wide range of daily activities.
The session is then finished with a cool down and “playing games “which facilitate grasp, communication, visual and motor co-ordination. By using the horse as a therapeutic tool. Followed by relaxation and breathing techniques.
The horse or pony is chosen from a Disabled riding centre and is trained for this type of therapy.
It would be beneficial for all sessions to be attended to gain the full benefits of the therapy.
The cost of hippotherapy sessions are set by the Occupational Therapist.
Which are influenced by the resources that are necessary and available to the therapy.
Feel free to give a call to discuss further you may be pleasantly surprised :)
