Hippotherapy
Spark Community has the ONLY hippotherapy program in Cleburne County!
What Is Hippotherapy?
Our hippotherapy program began in October 2025. “Hippo” is an ancient Greek word meaning horse. Hippotherapy uses horses, especially the movement of horses, as a tool in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language therapy. This form of therapy promotes functional outcomes by engaging sensory, neuromotor and cognitive systems.
How It Works
Horse's Movement
The horse’s walking gait generates a rhythmic, multi-dimensional movement that mimics the natural movement of a human pelvis during walking.
Patient Response
The rider must adjust to these constant shifts in the horse’s movement. This stimulates the body’s systems and promotes muscle engagement, improving posture, balance, and coordination.
Sensory Input
The horse provides sensory inputs (tactile, vestibular, visual, and auditory) that help to improve sensory processing and motor planning.
Heart Synchronization
When interacting with or riding a horse, a stressed human’s heart rate tends to mirror the horse’s lower, calmer heart rhythm. A calm horse’s resting heart rate can trigger a human’s parasympathetic nervous system to reduce stress and improve emotional regulation.
Who Hippotherapy Helps
Hippotherapy can benefit individuals with various conditions, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries.
- Cerebral palsy.
- Autism.
- Developmental delays.
- Down syndrome.
The average rate of the horse’s walk provides 500 neuromotor inputs to the rider in just 5 minutes. In a typical session, 15 to 25 minutes of horse movement incorporated by a therapist would provide 1500 to 2500 neuromotor inputs to the rider.
Hippotherapy is not a stand-alone treatment. Instead, it’s a component of a broader therapy plan, with amazing results.
Contact Spark Community to learn more about how hippotherapy can support your child’s therapy plan.
Bryce has enjoyed hippotherapy at Spark Community so much! It has helped build his confidence tremendously. What makes it so special is he doesn’t even realize it’s therapy – he simply enjoys the experience.
Ellen, grandparent of Bryce
Hippotherapy has been such a blessing for my twins, who both have autism. The time my son spends on the horse gives him a sense of peace that carries over into the rest of his day. My daughter gets excited knowing it’s “horse day,” and seeing her enthusiasm and joy is incredibly rewarding as a parent.
Brittany, parent of Hayden and Kinsley