Abstract

Hippotherapy is one of the forms of animal therapy (zootherapy). It is defined as a therapeutic action to improve human health and its functioning, with the help of a horse and riding on its back. The aim of the study was to present current reports on hippotherapy, as well as its popularization as a method that supports traditional rehabilitation. The theoretical part of the thesis discusses the mechanism of the horse’s therapeutic impact on humans, including its impact on the physical, emotional, motivation, cognitive and social spheres. The basic assumptions of hippotherapy are also presented – indications, contraindications, choice of a horse, the profession of a hippotherapist and the principles of conducting therapeutic activities with children. In the research part, in order to present up-to-date reports, a review of scientific articles from Poland and around the world, published in 2015-2019, on the effectiveness of hippotherapy activities and their impact on the psychomotor development of children with CPR, ASD and ADHD. These articles were found in the PubMed medical database. Twenty publications were selected that met all the search criteria. Most of the analyzed studies showed a positive effect of hippotherapy on the functioning of ill children. The most common effects are, the improvement of motor functions (including body posture, gait and balance), improvement of behavior, and better social functioning. It was confirmed that hippotherapy can complement comprehensive rehabilitation among children with CPR, ASD and ADHD, as well as motivate to therapy and exercise. On the basis of the discussed data, conclusions were also drawn that further research is needed, which would take into account larger groups of respondents and would show the long-term effects of therapy with the participation of a horse.

Key words:

Hippotherapy, horses, children theraphy with CPR, ASD (autism spectrum disorder) i ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)