Hippotherapy is the purposeful use and manipulation of equine movement within occupational therapy, physical therapy, or speech therapy. Hippotherapy is not a separate service. “Hippo” is Greek for horse.

 

The use of hippotherapy within these professions has been recognized by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). View the professional letters of support and terminology documents.

Adaptive riding is horsemanship instruction adapted for people with disabilities and taught by a riding instructor. It is a recreational activity, not medical treatment or rehabilitation.

 

Occupational therapy is a licensed healthcare service. Treatment is provided by an occupational therapist working within the profession’s scope of practice, and activities are selected based on the child’s individual therapy goals and clinical needs.

 

Occupational therapy may include a variety of activities. Equine movement is one part of a plan of care alongside other strategies and tools. Depending on the client and their goals, therapy sessions may also include interacting with a horse from the ground—for example, leading, grooming, tacking, or other barn tasks. We also use therapeutic activities you might see in a pediatric occupational therapy clinic without horses.

You may hear terms such as “equine therapy” or “horse therapy” used broadly for many different services involving horses. Those terms can be confusing because they do not identify the professional service being provided or whether the provider is a licensed healthcare professional.

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The American Hippotherapy Association recommends using therapy-first language instead—for example, occupational therapy incorporating hippotherapy or equine movement. Licensed occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and mental health professionals provide services within the legally defined scope of their respective professions.

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