Monika Wolfe looks on as her daughter, Devin, receives hippotherapy at the Equestrian Therapy Program at Fasset Farm in Cridersville, Ohio. “Before she came here, she couldn’t even crawl,” said Wolfe, describing the effects spina bifida had on her four-year-old. “Now she can pull herself up on furniture, her strength and balance have greatly improved, she is more verbal and outgoing and she no longer fears movement and animals,” she said. Devin exhibited these improvements after only one year of hippotherapy. She attends this unique therapy once a week for 30-45 minutes.
While “therapeutic riding” is an umbrella term for variety of horse-related therapy, “hippotherapy” is a specific type of therapy. In hippotherapy, the movement of the horse is used as a tool by physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists to address impairments, functional limitations and disabilities in patients with neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction. The therapist works one-on-one with the patient to reach specific goals and work on targeted skills and functions. For example, Devin Wolfe rides sideways to improve strength and balance and uses a toy fishing game to work on her fine motor skills.
“One step of the horse involves 100 different movements and one trip around our arena equals eight pieces of equipment in a physical therapy room,” said Michele Andrews-Sabol, the executive director of the program. “The kids don’t know they are working on improving their fine motor skills and muscle tone,” she said. Looking at Devin Wolfe, she added, “She’s just having a good time fishing on a pony.”
The Equestrian Therapy Program is always in need of volunteers and relies solely on donations. All donations stay at the Cridersville location, which serves 10 surrounding counties in northwest Ohio. Established in 1982 as a non-profit charitable organization, the program is a premier center accredited by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Foundation, Inc.
For more information, contact The Equestrian Therapy Program at 419.657.2700 or e-mail etpfarm@watchtv.net.
