Alejandro Ceballos Jesus Marquez: Hippotherapy, therapeutic riding and adapted: Three hippotherapy techniques




The equinotheraphy also known as hippotherapy or horse-assisted therapy continues to show its benefits for the rehabilitation of physical and mental health, especially those with some form of neuromuscular, psychological or social disabilities. Know the techniques of horse therapy that can adapt to your needs and improve your quality of life.



·         Hippotherapy

Also known as mounted mode, takes advantage of body heat, rhythmic pulses and the horse’s movements to transmit them to the patient through his spinal cord. Everything the horse does produces vibrations and sensations in the human brain similar to their movements, so they are therapies that promote performance of the motor and muscular apparatus.

Mounted mode can be carried out in the form of twin mounting (when the therapist and the patient are on the same horse, since the patient is not in physical condition to take control of the animal), or in the form of active mounting (when the patient has control of his trunk and can tame the horse to perform the exercises).


Who is this therapy recommended for? People with neuromotor disorders or congenital or acquired physical disabilities, especially those with mobility difficulties, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, blindness, deafness, limbs amputation, spinal cord injuries, Rett syndrome, spastics, etc.

·         Therapeutic riding

Also known as horse assisted psychotherapy, it takes advantage of the contact with the horse and it’s natural instinct, and the motivation that is created by the interaction between the patient and the horse. These are therapies in which the patient is intervened socially and emotionally.


Who is this therapy recommended for? A mentally handicapped people with psychological or psychiatric bases that generate relationship problems, adaptation and learning environment, especially those with autism, mental retardation, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, addictions, eating disorders and hyperactivity.

·         Adaptive riding 

The riding itself is used as a recreational or sports therapy for emotional and muscular strengthening of the rider, and thus enabling it to achieve overall health. The act of riding a horse can be very healthy for all kinds of people healthy or not, it is just a life experience that brings so much to anyone’s life.


Who is this therapy recommended for? A people who practice horse riding, but who have disabilities who require accommodations to access the horse. So before being able to ride properly as official riders, they would be required to go through adaptive riding, in order to find the best specifications that eh patient will have to follow to ride as comfortable as possible.

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