Acta Univ. Palacki. Olomuc., Gymn. 2011 41(4): 37-41 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2011.024

Does the rider influence the horse's movement in hippotherapy?

Zdeněk Svoboda, Tereza Dvořáková, Miroslav Janura

Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacky University, Olomouc

Background: In hippotherapy, in comparison to equitation, it is assumed that the rider is a passive element, only stimulated by mechanical impulses produced by the moving horse's back.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the rider on the horse's movement in hippotherapy.

Methods: Two sound thoroughbreds with a similar body shape and size (age: 19 and 14 years, withers height: 1.65 m both, weight: 548 and 500 kg) participated in the study. The test group of riders consisted of twelve healthy young women (age: 23.3 ± 2.8, weight: 59.2 ± 5.3, height: 167.3 ± 4.2) without any previous horse riding experience. For each rider 36 trials in total (6 strides in 6 hippotherapy sessions held during the course of five weeks) were evaluated. The movement was recorded by 4 videocameras (frequency 50 Hz). Spatiotemporal variables, the vertical displacement of selected points on the horse's limbs and the back and angle displacement of tarsus joint were analyzed by the APAS programme. Statistical processing was performed by the Statistica programme (one way ANOVA).

Results: In our study, we didn't find any statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) for stride duration, stride length and a horse's walking velocity. Upon the walking of Horse No. 1 with various riders, statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) in the vertical and angle displacement of points on the hind limb and on the horse's back were found. For Horse No. 2, a statistically significant influence of the rider on the movement of the horse was found only in the vertical displacement of the fore hoof.

Conclusions: In hippotherapy, basic spatiotemporal variables of a horse's natural walking aren't influenced by the rider. As for the vertical displacement of points on the limbs and the horse's back, the results are not explicit. A larger number of horses is necessary for future study. The patient and the horse in hippotherapy are to be rather considered as interactive elements than as passive and active elements.

Keywords: horse, therapeutic riding, kinematics, patient, displacement

Prepublished online: February 22, 2012; Published: September 1, 2011  Show citation