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Hippotherapy and Therapeutic Riding at Sonora Farms at Sonora Creek
Sonora Farms at Sonora Creek offers both Hippotherapy and Therapeutic riding lessons for special needs children and adults.
Hippotherapy uses the movement of the horse to integrate warming and stretching of the child's muscles. Hippotherapy also allows stimulation of the postural muscles, facilitation of body awareness, normalization of tone through rhythmical movement, sensory integration and overall strengthening.
The horse's gait imparts a mobilization of the pelvis that stimulates normal walking, a benefit that cannot be reproduced in any other clinical setting. The horse's gait can also be manipulated to directly affect specific deficits. Additionally, therapists challenge the child with functional activities whole on the horse to further improve balance, motor control, planning and coordination.
Therapeutic Riding Lessons are also offered at Sonora Farms at Sonora Creek. Therapeutic Riding is a recreational sport that teaches people with special needs the skills necessary to ride a horse as independently as possible. While the person still benefits from the natural properties of the horse, they are also given the experience of participating in a "normal" activity with their peers. Lessons are conducted by certified therapeutic riding instructors who are specially trained to teach children with a variety of disabilities.
