by Lisa Rosenkranz

Created on: December 15, 2010

The experience of riding a horse is unparallel to any other.  It’s empowering and exhilarating, even to an able-bodied individual, but to a person with a disability it can be the stuff that miracles are made of.   To be given the ability and opportunity to control these large magnificent animals affords a broad range of amazing benefits for children and adults alike.  These benefits have not been intensively studied until recently, but have been noticed by parents, therapists, teachers, and doctors, consequently fueling the popularity of therapeutic riding programs.  

Equine Assisted Therapy originated in Europe in the 1950’s and spread to the United States in the 1960’s.  In 1969 the creation of the North America Riding for the Handicap Association was formed and began to set the safety standards for the industry, accrediting riding centers and providing training and certification for instructors.  NARHA now serves over 42,000 children and adults with physical, mental, and emotional challenges across the globe.  They rely on 30,000 volunteers, 3,500 instructors, and over 6,000 horses to help those who need to find strength and independence through these powerful programs. 

Therapeutic riding lessons consist of a NARHA certified instructor facilitating to participants at a NARHA certified center with the aid of therapy horses and many volunteers.  Sessions are tailored on each participant’s needs.    Whether it's a five-year-old with Down Syndrome, a 45-year-old recovering from a spinal cord injury or a senior citizen recovering from a stroke, research shows that individuals of all ages who participate in Equine Assisted Therapy can experience physical and emotional rewards. 

The numerous physical benefits are profound in themselves.  The natural gait of the horse stimulates muscle movement that mimics the human gait, stimulating nerves and creating sensations that are experienced in normal human ambulation.  This form of exercise can reach muscles that traditional physical therapy cannot and often leads to physical advancements like alignment of the pelvis, healthier circulation, and improvements in gross and fine motor skills, flexibility, and muscle strength. Participants are encouraged to interact with their horses as much as possible, grooming and saddling them for the lesson, adding to the physical enrichment of the experience.

Along with the miraculous

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