• Hippotherapy

• Staff Training: Physical Therapy

• Fee to participate in the Program : Cost for therapy services is covered under most medical insurance plans.

• Accessible by Public Transportation: No
  
  
• Transportation Provided by the Program: No

Quest provides hippotherapy to facilitate the therapeutic progress in children with diagnoses such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, stroke (CVA), hypotonia, static encephalopathy, cerebellar ataxia, spina bifida, traumatic brain injury, sensory integration dysfunction, autism, and developmental delays.

The hippotherapy session lasts 45 minutes with an additional 15 minutes of prep time. The actual hippotherapy session with the patient on the horse usually lasts 35 minutes, with 10 minutes of exercise or other ground activity (instructing family in home exercise program, stretching, strengthening, or games designed to address specific goals) off the horse. During the treatment session, an experienced horse handler will lead the horse, and the therapist will work individually with the child, with a therapy assistant helping as needed. The therapist carefully monitors the patient, and assists him/her to achieve optimum postural alignment. The child will also be involved in a variety of functional skill activities and therapeutic exercises while on the horse, and may assume several different positions during the session.

There may be pre and/or post activity, including mobilization of joints and muscles, gait training, or tests and measurements of functional skills. If there is a specific skill the family or child is interested in acquiring, it will be incorporated into the treatment plan.

• Development of head and trunk postural control
• Development of equilibrium reactions in the trunk and pelvis
• Mobilization of the pelvis, lumbar spine and hip joints
• Improve dissociation of body parts
• Improve body symmetry
• Improve body awareness
• Improve sensory integration
• Improve proximal stability and/or co-contraction
• Improve vestibular reaction.
• Improve gross motor skills
• Improve eye-hand coordination and/or spatial orientation
• Improve timing and rhythm
• Increase strength and/or endurance