Hippotherapy is a physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement as part of an integrated intervention program to achieve functional outcomes. Hippotherapy is a medical treatment session that uses the horse as a tool to help each rider reach their individualized therapeutic goals.

     Equine movement provides multidimensional movement, which is variable, rhythmic and repetitive. The horse provides a dynamic base of support, making it an excellent tool for increasing trunk strength and control, balance, building overall postural strength and endurance, addressing weight bearing, and motor planning.

     The effects of equine movement on postural control, sensory systems, and motor planning can be used to facilitate coordination and timing, grading of responses, respiratory control, sensory integration skills, and attention skills. Equine movement can be used to facilitate the neurophysiologic systems that support all of our functional daily living skills.

Physical Therapists: The physical therapist can overlay a variety of motor tasks on the horse's movement to address the motor needs of each patient and to promote functional outcomes in skill areas related to gross motor ability such as sitting, standing, and walking.

Occupational Therapists: The occupational therapist is able to combine the effects of the equine movement with other standard intervention strategies for working on fine motor control, sensory integration, feeding skills, attentional skills, and functional daily living skills in a progressively challenging manner.

Speech-Language Pathologists: The speech-language pathologist is able to use equine movement to facilitate the physiologic systems that support speech and language. When combined with other standard speech-language intervention strategies, the speech-language pathologist is able generate effective remediation of communication disorders and promote functional communication outcomes.

Specially trained therapy professionals evaluate each potential patient on an individual basis to determine the appropriateness of including hippotherapy as a treatment strategy.

The therapy professional works closely with the horse professional to manipulate various aspects of the horse's movement, position, management style, equipment and types of activities to generate effective remediation protocols and to promote functional outcomes.

How Do I Start?

Click and download our 2010 Registration Document Bundle.  A doctor's prescription is required to participate in hippotherapy. A list of services offered and price list in enclosed in the downloadable packet. When the forms are completed, please call us for your appointment time. We do give standing weekly appointments and we do have immediate openings! 

Payment Methods

Medicaid: We do accept medicaid. We will bill medicaid for you but you are still responsible for any claims that they may deny. We charge a monthly fee to participate in hippotherapy. (PT/ OT services that are not Hippotherapy do not incur this charge). Scholarships may be available to those families who can demonstrate financial hardship. A list of our services offered and price list is availabe for download in our New Rider Registration Forms.

For Medicaid PSN, CMS, Mediwaiver, and Medipass clients please contact us immediately once you get your doctor's perscription so that we can apply for immediate approval for services if necessary.  

Private insurance: Unfortunately, we DO NOT ACCEPT PRIVATE INSURANCE. We do provide you with monthly documentation so that you may submit claims directly to your insurance company to obtain partial or full reimbursement. We recommend that you check with your own private insurance company to see what your specific benefits may be. We ask for payment in full at the beginning of each month. Download our registration forms for a complete list of our services and price list.