Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR) is a program that provides equine-assisted activities for those persons with disabilities so that they may improve their emotional, physical and mental well-being. The process is done through an adaptive riding program that focuses not only on the skills the riders get but also to establish a relationship between them and the horse. Therapeutic riding activities are usually constructed by certified therapeutic riding instructors working closely with trained volunteers. It is important to know that therapeutic horseback riding comes with multiple benefits to those who choose this program. Discussed below are some of the benefits of therapeutic horse riding that you need to know.
Horse riding helps the client to improve they are fine motor skills. There is the need to know that with horse riding activities, small muscle movements are common. As a result, the clients improve their manual dexterity. It is important to know that there are hand movements and depending on the kind of task one takes can be accomplished when the student is riding is off the horse. Some of the ways the client can improve his or her fine motor skills include holding the horse when riding and selecting reins.
The other advantage that comes with horse riding activities is that it helps to improve motor coordination and balance. There is the need to know that to ride a horse; it requires both balance and coordination. As a result of this, therapeutic horseback riding improves these areas in a client who could be having difficulties due to his or her disabilities. There is the need to know that when mounting or dismounting the horse, the movements of the clients must be coordinated. For safety purposes, there is the need to ensure that the student stays on the horse and in the proper poster. As the students do this, he or she learns to maintain the balance even as he starts and stops the horse or when he or she wants to change the direction of a moving horse.
You need to also know that therapeutic horseback riding helps to improve the social skills of the client. You will find that most of the people with disabilities usually have difficulties interacting with other people. However, when the student starts to get involved in horse riding activities, such a case changes immediately. It starts by creating a bond between the student and the horse during the lesson and from there they interact well with the trainers and instructors. The students start to hold a conversation easily with other individuals.
Horse riding also helps to stimulate the senses of people especially those with certain disorders. For individuals with disorders such as autism, going for horseback riding is crucial. The reason is that the rider’s vision, sense of touch, hearing, and smell are stimulated by the sounds, the feel and the smell of the horse itself. When the horse is in motion, it stimulates the student’s tactile sense and creates enjoyment as he or she rides.
Therapeutic horseback riding comes with multiple benefits to people with disabilities. There is a need to ensure that you make use of these services by liaising with experts.