|
The Ethics of Hippotherapy
|
|
|
Long before horse assisted therapy became mainstream, I was involved with helping give hippotherapy to a little girl who had suffered severely crippling injuries in a car accident. At the time, we knew nothing about riding for the disabled. We were told that riding was good exercise for the wheelchair-bound child, and when she was lifted onto the back of a pony, she grinned for the duration of the ride. We had no special equipment, and no training. Hopefully, we did more good than harm. Hippotherapy has been around since the time of the Greeks, but in the last few decades, there's been an increasing interest in horse assisted therapy programs for everything from alcoholism to speech therapy.
Horses help humans. Long ago, they helped us move faster and further carrying a heavier load. When mechanical engines took over, horses gave us healthy recreation. And more recently, in addition to helping us with mobility and physical therapy, they are helping us deal with emotional problems. But is helping us overcome our problems fair to the horse? Some people don't think so. There is some controversy about the cost to the horse's own mental health. One study of horses used for therapy for mental health and physical therapy found their stress hormones actually decreased following the therapy session. This is opposite to what the researcher assumed would happen. The only exceptions were a new horse, another who was a cribber and one who had a rider with a severe mental health problem.
Related: The Benefits of Therapeutic Riding
Related: Therapeutic Riding - Freedom on Horseback
Related: Dreams to Reality - Elite Para-Equestrian
Related: Therapeutic Horseback Riding
The findings of one study however, aren't indicative of what may happen in all therapy programs and that has many people concerned about the ethics of using horses for therapy. Some call it exploitation. They believe that asking a horse to help heal humans, especially those with mental health issues, may be going beyond what would be deemed as 'use'. There is a concern for the safety of the horse in some situations, and that the horse is being used as a tool, rather than treated as a sentient being.
Over the last decade, more attention has been paid to the maintenance of therapy horses and national standards are being formed or are in place in several countries. In North America, several guidelines have been suggested such as those formed by The National Association for Equine Facilitated Wellness that asks members to "agree to abide by their "Code of Ethics for the protection of participants (human and equine), the public, and the profession" and " take steps to ensure the culture and environment at the barns in which their equine partners reside are congruent with this Code." So, more attention is being paid to the stress providing therapy puts on horses, and creating an atmosphere that is healthy for their physical needs.
Clearly, the use of horses to help humans will continue as more therapists discover new ways to provide treat their patients. After all, "There's something, about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." But, we need to ensure that we are good for both the inside, and outside of the horse.
What's your opinion of equine assisted therapy?
--
ref: https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/040915o.aspx |
|
|
|
|
 Related Horse News
|
|
Most people have heard of some form of physical therapy. Well on horseback it is often called Hippotherapy, it is a commonly used for around 100 different conditions; autism, brain injuries, spinal cord injury, visual or hearing l ...
|
|
Long before horse assisted therapy became mainstream, I was involved with helping give hippotherapy to a little girl who had suffered severely crippling injuries in a car accident. At the time, we knew nothing about riding for the ...
|
|
Horse’s and ponies have been helping humans for a very long time. In fact, they’ve been useful enough that we’ve kept them around despite their being extinct in the wild. But, in recent years, equines have become more than just be ...
|
|
With an awareness of what it takes to stay mentally health and recover from mental issues comes many, what seem like, novel approaches to treatments. One treatment is equine therapy designed to help those dealing with mental healt ...
|
|
Montessori schools are known for their child-led education programs that are a bit different than regular public schools. The focus of Montessori programs is to provide an enriched environment for discovery and hands-on learning f ...
|
|
Flirty, a Miniature Horse and service animal was possibly the first horse to fly inside the passenger compartment of a plane. Her handler, who is allergic to dogs, took Flirty on a short flight, and this short video documents the ...
|
|
Amid the frightening chaos and rush taking place as the Australian wildfires are being fought is a calming sound that helps both horses and humans. A woman transitioning from professional life as a doctor to retirement is offering ...
|
|
Recently, the FAA announced new regulations regarding service and emotional support animals on commercial airlines flights. Part of the new regulations recognize that horses are used in this capacity and they now allow miniature h ...
|
|
There seems to be a lot of confusion around the status of service animals. The controversy exists because of there are people who maintain their pets are emotional support animals, guide animals even though they are not officially ...
|
|
A new study suggests that kids with autism and ADHD may benefit from horseback riding lessons. Not only does riding help with motor function, strength, flexibility and dexterity, researchers also felt that that participants in the ...
|
|
More News by Winniefield Park
|
|
During a peaceful protest that turned ugly in London, UK a police horse bolted after being pelted with debris by violent demonstrators. Flares, bottles and sticks flew as the crowd was pushed back by mounted police officers. One o ...
|
|
You might remember a story from early last winter about twenty horses in Eastern Kentucky that were shot and killed. The few survivors were taken to Kentucky Humane Society’s Willow Hope Farm to regain their health and eventually ...
|
|
Beach-goers to the Outer Banks are being asked to stay clear of the wild horses that live there after a photo of a woman appearing to pat a wild horse has surfaced. This is not an isolated incident as tourists visit the well known ...
|
|
Some horses eat anything and will eat everything from anchovies to zucchini. And some are extremely picky and act like you’ve poisoned them if you put anything but hay and grain in front of their noses. Have you ever tried a taste ...
|
|
Jim Gaffigan pokes fun at the Triple Crown, from the costumes and pageantry, to owners, jockeys and trainers. He then takes a humorous trek through the horse world, exploring horse breeds, horse people, horseshoes, riding and the ...
|
|
We are halfway through 2020 and so far it’s been quite a year. IRL, there has been a lot going on. But on Ponybox, records continue to be broken and new horses are vying for the top rank and highest jumps. Horses tend to go throug ...
|
|
Covid-19 is taking its toll on so many businesses and individuals. One rescue stable in British Columbia, Canada, fears that they are running out of time to save 30 horses and ponies, many of which could be sent to slaughter. The ...
|
|
We need a distraction from all the bad news, so how about some filters, music, video editing and horses. ...
|
|
|
