About CanTRA Member Centres Get Involved Contacts Certification Hippotherapy Supporters Employment 2011 Conference Merchandise Instructor Resources ParaEquestrian CanTRA Kids EFW Past News F.A.Q

5420 Hwy. 6 North, Suite 11, R.R. #5, Guelph, ON, N1H 6J2 Telephone: (519)767-0700 Fax: (519)767-0435 E-mail: ctra@golden.net

CanTRA and Hippotherapy

At the last CanTRA general assembly, held at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto on November 4th 2006, CanTRA was proud to announce the creation of its new ‘Hippotherapy committee’. Members of this new committee are: Chairperson: Ms Pippa Hodge, PT, HPCS and CanTRA examiner Co-chair: Mrs. Danielle Champagne, OT, CTRAI, NARHA therapist and AHA therapist level 2, M.Sc. student with thesis on hippotherapy Secretary: Eliane Trempe, CanTRA AI Director: Judy Brooks, OT, AHA Level 2 Therapist Judy Todds, OT This next article is the first of a series on hippotherapy, which will enable you to improve your knowledge of this special field. History of hippotherapy In 1952, Liz Hartel of Denmark, affected with polio since 1943, won a medal at the Helsinky Olympic games in a dressage event. The idea of rehabilitation through horse riding made its way in the therapists community since then. Closer to us, in 1987, a group of 18 canadian and american therapists left for Germany to learn the basics of hippotherapy. Following their training, they worked at setting up the basis of hippotherapy in North America and founded AHA in 1992. Our president, Pippa Hodge, was part of this group of audacious therapists. Ms Hodge is presently the only trainer authorized by AHA to teach in Canada both levels of hippotherapy created by AHA . Ms Hodge is also the only canadian certified Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist (HPCS); we are priviledged to have her on our team. Definition of hippotherapy The word ‘hippotherapy’ comes from the greek ‘hippos’ meaning horse and ‘therapy’ meaning care. Thus, hippotherapy is the utilization of the horse for therapeutic purposes rather than equestrian goals. This new field targets acquisition of motor pre-requisites rather than equestrian abilities. Hippotherapy is a rehabilitation strategy using a mobile and live instrument called ‘horse.’ The horse possesses motor and emotional, neuro-sensitive stimulation qualities never equalled by a machine. The horse offers 110 mutidimensional movements by impulsion/minutes. No therapist, no matter how motivated or talented, can compete with this quality stimulation. Hippotherapy is a specialization reserved to rehabilitation specialists: physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech language specialists trained in this field. In hippotherapy, the rider does not influence the horse but rather the movement of the horse stimulates postural and muscular reactions on the rider. The rider will take different positions on the horse to stimulate affected group muscles. Objectives are not essentially motor; they can be of all types (cognitive, behavioural, etc...) depending on the initial evaluation prepared by the therapist (OT, PT, speech language specialist) with the help of the rider’s medical team. I hope this first article aroused your curiosity towards this new field. In the next CanTRA Caller, a new article will present ‘Selection of rider for hippotherapy vs therapeutic riding.’ Hippotherapy committee 2006