Therapy for cancer, cerebral palsy and autism usually takes place in a confined clinic office, but the Texas Tech Therapeutic Riding Center offers an open-air, equine solution.
“Therapeutic riding is more like a therapeutic sport for people with disabilities,” said Heather Hernandez, coordinator for TTRC, “where the ultimate goal is to teach them how to ride a horse and make the rider as independent as possible.”
According to the Therapeutic Riding Center’s Web site, therapeutic riding uses equine assisted activities for the purpose for contributing positively to the cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being of people with disabilities.
The TTRC also uses hippotherapy as a method of therapy for riders, which refers to the use of the movement of a horse as a treatment tool by trained physical, occupational or speech therapists, Hernandez said.
“With hippotherapy, individuals will ride on a bare-back pad,” Hernandez said. “They are not learning to ride the horse. It’s just a treatment modality.”
When a rider uses a bare-back pad instead of a saddle, they can feel the warmth of the horse. The movement combined with the heat of the horse can help relax and stretch out muscles for someone with high tone in their legs, like individuals with cerebral palsy.
Tangi Arant, therapeutic riding instructor, said therapeutic riding and hippotherpay riders have goals and objectives with their lesson plan.
The goals incorporated into lesson plans depend on the needs of the rider. Goals can include strength exercises, which work on core muscles in the body the rider needs to strengthen, and socialization. If a rider is working on a socialization goal, they have a leader, instructor and two side walkers, which they have to communicate with during a lesson.
“There are different exercises that they do,” Arant said. ”One is standing up in a stirrup to strengthen leg muscles. Balance activities are a big one that a lot of riders work on, too.”
There can be overlap between therapeutic riding and hippotherapy. The goal of therapeutic riding is to teach individuals to ride a horse, but the TTRC incorporates hippotherapy.
Hernandez said the center tries to create carry over into everyday life and increase functionality, and riders usually come away having improved in some area.
“I absolutely think it is effective,” Hernandez said. “Every rider has goals and objectives that they are working on in their lesson and we definitely see improvement. For some riders, it may be more subtle than others.”
The TTRC uses a variety of horses for therapy.
“Well, we are in West Texas and it’s mostly Quarter Horses around here, but we actually have a Norwegian Fjord, ponies and Appaloosa,” said Hernandez. “All different horses are good for riding because we want different sizes, shapes and movements because different kinds of riders need different kinds of movement.”
The TTRC is conducting a study on the benefits of therapeutic riding for children with autism.
“As an observer, I see a huge change from day one to today,” Arant said. “There is always some form of positive change.”
The best part about being an instructor is being around the riders and seeing what they can achieve, Arant said.
“Someone’s goal may just be to hold the reigns, and they may surprise you and actually use the reigns the entire lesson,” Arant said, “which could have taken them two weeks.”
These types of therapy are more like play than work, Hernandez said, and although riders are working, they enjoy it.
The therapy programs could not be possible without the help of volunteers, Hernandez said. Volunteers may participate in side walking or leading. Side walkers walk beside the rider and assist the rider while leaders lead the horses during activities.
“For the autism study we have to have 12 people there every hour,” Hernandez said, “which is a lot of volunteers.”
People interested in volunteering can call 792-4683.
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