Pippa Funnell Clinic and Demo - raising money for ARC Hippotherapy

We have chosen to support the ARC Hippotherapy group as our 'official charity' for the Pippa Funnell Clinic and Demo. The group relies on donations to help change and improve lives.

What is hippotherapy?
Hippotherapy (from the Greek word hippos, meaning horse) is a form of physiotherapy on horseback which uses the movement, warmth and rhythm of the horse to produce responses in a client depending on their needs.
The horse's movement causes the rider to react in order to maintain posture and balance over a moving base. Each step the horse takes displaces the client?s centre of gravity, challenging balance and strengthening the core muscles of the trunk. The three dimensional movement created in the sitting rider?s pelvis on a walking horse replicates the movement of the pelvis in a normal human walking pattern. The warmth and rhythm of the horse can improve muscle tone. In hippotherapy the client can be placed in a variety of positions to challenge different muscle groups and to promote motor skills.
The hippotherapist has full responsibility for the session and instructs their team to assist in applying chosen therapeutic movements.

What is it used for?
Among other things hippotherapy can help to improve:
Head and Trunk control Posture Muscle tone Core Stability
Motor Skills Walking Pattern Coordination Balance
Exercise Tolerance Chronic Pain Confidence in Movement Activities

Who benefits from Hippotherapy?
Hippotherapy can benefit children and adults with both physical and cognitive disabilities.
Hippotherapy is not appropriate in all conditions or cases. A full physiotherapy assessment is necessary to establish the appropriateness of the intervention for each client.

How do we know if it works?
Hippotherapists use objective outcome measures to track progress and evaluate the success of hippotherapy. These may be tailored to meet the specific needs of each client and related to the clients own goals.