What is horse therapy?

Equine (“horse”) therapy is kind of like physical therapy, but i ride a horse instead of bounce & balance on a ball. sometimes i work on core strength/abs. sometimes the horse just stands there as i balance, & she stretches me, or we talk. once i had to twist & reach to do some upper body work.

This is from the newsletter for Red Arena (where I ride my horse, sven):

The movement of the horse can increase low tone for many reasons. The rhythmic movement of the horse can be stimulating to the proprioceptive system which helps the entire neuromuscular system engage. Combined with the momentum of the horse walking, in which the trunk muscles must activate to keep the core upright and adjust to the weight shift through the rider’s pelvis. You can actually see improvement in postural alignment during and after being on the horse. It’s just amazing how the horses movement can have such a broad impact, and there is no other piece of “equipment” that can replicate this and have the bonus of impacting the rider’s confidence, communication, self-esteem and mobility.