Conflict of interest: non-existent the Education Secretariat of the Federal District, an institution convened with ANDE -Brazil.Hippotherapy proposes an activity requiring the participation of the entire body, thus contributing to develop strength, muscle tone, flexibility, relaxation, body awareness as well as enhanced motor skills and balance. Interaction with the horse, including first contacts, the act of riding and final handling, develops new ways of socialization, self-confidence and self-esteem
.There are many horse-related stimuli. Its environment is natural and different from the urban area. There is a wealth of proprioceptive and kinesthetic information, body position sensations and movements during the physical contact between the practitioner and the animal 4 . The horse has three natural gaits: walk, trot and gallop.• Walk is a regular, rhythmic and even gait, being that the reason why it is the most adequate for hippotherapy. Walk is a gait during which the horse performs and conveys a series of sequenced and simultaneous movements to the practitioner, which results in a three-dimensional movement
INTRODUCTIONHippotherapy "is a therapeutic and educational method that uses the horse within an interdisciplinary approach, in healthcare, education and horseback riding, in order to achieve the biopsychosocial development of people who have disabilities and/or special needs". It uses the horse to promote physical, psychological and educational benefits ABSTRACT Purpose: describe the training of audiologists who work in hippotherapy and the outline of speech therapy contribution in the suggested area. Methods: this is a cross-prospective research, performed by submitting a questionnaire to speech therapists who work with hippotherapy in centers accredited by ANDE -Brazil, in the State of São Paulo. As criteria for inclusion in the research, speech therapists should have attended any hippotherapy specific course and have at least a year of working experience in the area. The results were presented by descriptive analysis, divided into 13 frames according to the submitted questions. Results: there were 47 hippotherapy centers registered. All the centers were contacted by telephone and among them14 had no speech therapist on their staff, 22 nonrespondents, 11 questionnaires were sent, and 06 questionnaires were answered. Conclusion: the group of professionals indicated that the role of speech therapists in the hippotherapy team, besides working directly with the practitioner, involves treatment planning, clarification, demonstration and proving the importance of speech therapy for the team and providing guidance to the family of the practioner. However, we have found that there is no theoretical basis and procedures considered standard practice for speech therapy in hippotherapy.