hippotherapy

American  

[hi-poh ther-uh-pee, hi-puh-] / ˌhɪ poʊ ˈθɛr ə pi, ˌhɪ pə- /

noun

1. a form of physiotherapy involving the patient riding a horse: the rhythm of the horse's movements encourages an increase of strength, balance, and coordination in the patient.

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Other Word Forms

• hippotherapist
  noun

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hippotherapy

Meredith Bazaar of Ringwood, N.J., a speech and language pathologist, uses hippotherapy to treat clients, including those with apraxia, a brain disorder that makes it difficult to articulate or speak words.

From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2016

At Horsefeathers, the founder and executive officer Nick Coyne has 10 gentle horses and ponies he uses for both hippotherapy and adaptive riding, which enables people with physical and mental disabilities to ride horses.

From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2016

Dr. Deborah Silkwood-Sherer, the program director for the physical therapy department at Central Michigan University, said hippotherapy can also boost motivation in children who have disabilities and have been in therapy for years.

From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2016

A recent study in Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, for example, found that children with cerebral palsy had increased body control after only 10 sessions of hippotherapy.

From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2016

Researchers are now testing hippotherapy as an intervention for adults with multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders.

From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2016