An Exploratory Survey of Occupational Therapists\u27 Role in Hippotherapy

The term hippotherapy is derived from the Greek word for horse, or hippos. The American Hippotherapy Association (2007) defines hippotherapy as an occupational, physical, or speech therapy intervention strategy, using the movements of a horse, used as part of an intervention program to facilitate functional gain. In hippotherapy, therapists use the movements of the horse as a vehicle for improving clients\u27 functional limitations. Hippotherapy is an intervention method mentioned in the occupational therapy literature more than 20 years ago (Engel, 1984) that has received minimal research attention within our field. Little is known about the role of occupational therapists in hippotherapy and the way in which they use this form of intervention. Therefore, the purpose of the survey described in this article was to explore occupational therapists\u27 perceptions of their role in hippotherapy, the uses of equine-assisted therapy in practice, and these practitioners\u27 backgrounds and training