Human pelvis motions when walking and when riding a therapeutic horse

Gymnastic Training and Dynamic Mobilization Exercises Improve Stride Quality and Increase Epaxial Muscle Size in Therapy Horses

“…One of the benefits of therapeutic riding is that the three-dimensional (3D) movements of the rider's pelvis show similar trajectories and displacement amplitudes when riding a horse at walk to those of an able-bodied person walking overground [5], which stimulates patients to activate their core musculature and stabilize their trunk in the same way as they would if they were walking. The horse's stride quality contributes to the value of the therapeutic experience so it is important for therapy horses to move freely and without restriction of their range of motion [6].…”

Effects of horse-riding therapy and rhythm and music-based therapy on functional mobility in late phase after stroke

“…H-RT and R-MT are specifically adapted to neurologically disabled individuals, including stroke survivors (Bunketorp-Käll et al, 2017;Lee et al, 2014). In H-RT, the three-dimensional movements of the horse stimulate several different muscle groups (Ribeiro et al, 2018), as well as the motor system (Garner & Rigby, 2015). H-RT stimulates a similar rhythmical and repetitive pelvic movement of the rider as normal gait, which can provide important motor and sensory stimulus in persons with reduced mobility (Ribeiro et al, 2018).…”

Equines as Tools Vs Partners: A Critical Look at the Uses and Beliefs Surrounding Horses in Equine Therapies and Argument for Mechanical Horses

“…Equine learning requires consistency in operant conditioning and behavioral shaping under low-stress conditions to produce consistent and predictable behavioral results [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. If equine specialists and EAAT practitioners have varied backgrounds in equine behavior, equine learning, or training techniques, such inconsistencies may result in varied responses to horses' behavior and interpretations of that behavior.…”

“…Table 1 provides examples of how these models are designed to provide physical, intellectual, educational, emotional, and psychological benefits to people and Table 1A clarifies the terminology used in the industry with regards to the uses of equines in different therapeutic techniques. As physical therapy animals, they provide benefits known as hippotherapy which provides bilateral rhythmic stimulation to the rider and helps simulate the same motion in the pelvis as walking [1] and has shown to improve strength and mobility in the elderly [2,3] and improved physical health in individuals with autism [4], intellectual disabilities [5], neuromuscular disorders [6], and children with cerebral palsy [7][8][9]. Therapeutic riding, where an individual finds physical, emotional, or psychotherapy through equitation has been shown to improve self-regulation in individuals with autism spectrum disorder [10].…”