Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

Therapeutic riding is a specialized equine activity that provides physical, emotional, and psychological benefits to individuals with special needs. It is a series of adaptive riding lessons, which are individually designed based on the rider’s goals. Through carefully planned activities developed by a health professional and a certified riding instructor, the horse is used as a treatment tool. The movement of the horse at walk provides sensory input that stimulates normal muscle responses in humans. “The MSU Department of Kinesiology’s research program includes gait analysis n how the movement of the horse affects the human gait. A horse’s pelvis is almost identical to a human’s. When humans ride a horse at walk, their vestibular system is stimulated as if they are walking,”

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