Horses are an integral part of Kentucky’s culture. They possess qualities of balance, coordination, speed, reflex, strength, endurance, and stamina. Outside the traditional setting of a racetrack or an open field, though, horses can also be healers.

Faculty and students at the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences, in partnership with Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital, harness the healing power of specially trained horses to help improve the lives of the physically and mentally challenged.

Hippotherapy, from the Greek “hippos,” meaning “horse,” literally means treatment or therapy aided by a horse. Specially trained physical, occupational, and speech therapists use this therapy for clients who have movement dysfunction. Clients with a variety of diagnoses can benefit from hippotherapy, including those with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, developmental delay, traumatic brain injury, stroke, autism, and learning or language disabilities.

The horse provides sensory input to the rider through its variable, rhythmic, and repetitive walk. The movement responses in the rider are similar to human movement patterns of the pelvis while walking. The variability of the horse’s gait enables the therapist to grade the degree of sensory input to the client and then use this movement in combination with other clinical treatments to achieve desired results