Hippotherapy (mildy insulting to equines at large).

Don't see how this is insulting to horses?????

My friend is a physio and her specialty is hippotherapy. It doesn't really have anything to do with riding (either disabled or able bodied) per se, as the focus is entirely on the child; they are not learning to ride but using the horses motion to help discover balance and motor skills. It is an amazingly effective therapy for certain types of childhood disability, especially cerebral palsy. It allows some children to gain motor skills who otherwise would never be able to do so.
 
My boy is definintely part hippo as he digs huge holes all over his field and when it rains he rolls about in the ensuing bog lol.

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"Hippos" is horse in Ancient Greek. Hippopotamus means "river horse" in Greek. I suppose because hippos live in rivers. But they don't look at all like horses!

(I knew that Classics degree would be useful at some point!!! LOL)
 
ahhhh, but apparently when the european first 'discovered' africa and heard the hippo, they thought it SOUNDED like a horse... which is why they called them river horses

Actually if you watch hippos interact they are quite horse like in the way they move around each other.
 
It is different fro RDA in that a saddle is not used, the riders ride on a sheepskin cos the added warmth from sheepskin helps riders relax more
 
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Don't see how this is insulting to horses?????

My friend is a physio and her specialty is hippotherapy. It doesn't really have anything to do with riding (either disabled or able bodied) per se, as the focus is entirely on the child; they are not learning to ride but using the horses motion to help discover balance and motor skills. It is an amazingly effective therapy for certain types of childhood disability, especially cerebral palsy. It allows some children to gain motor skills who otherwise would never be able to do so.

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Would your friend be able to give me some info on it and where she teaches please? I am doing Hippotherapy for my dissertation
 
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