A novel test instrument was designed to objectively quantify the progress of persons who participated in therapeutic horseback riding programs. Nineteen handicapped children, ages 7 to 14 years, with heterogeneous impairments were evaluated before and after riding. For measures of sitting balance and coordination, and hand, hip, knee, and ankle strength, marked improvements were noted for most children. Clinical impressions of therapists and parents suggested concomitant progress in characteristics such as self-confidence and interaction with others. Results from this pilot study appeared to support the use of the apparatus in that field setting.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.