Hippotherapy

Thanks to a sponsorship gift from Nadácia SPP (the SPP Foundation), our patients took part in hippotherapy in cooperation with the civic association Kôň ako koníček at the riding grounds in Alžbetin Dvor.

Hippotherapy has long been used successfully in treating children with cerebral palsy, mainly because it actively engages the control processes of the central nervous system. The treatment has two stages. In the first, the child gets used to the horse and its movements; the aim is to build contact between the horse and the child. Only once a mutual bond has formed can the rider move on to guiding the horse's movements on their own. This requires a high level of concentration. For the patients it is a completely new situation compared with the "passive treatment procedures" they are used to. The horse is a living being that knows nothing of therapeutic duties, and a free interplay between two living beings develops. Riding has a balancing, harmonising effect and helps create psychophysical balance.

Hippotherapy gives patients space and makes them orient themselves in it. As their centre of gravity constantly shifts with the rhythm of the horse's gait, they have to keep a correct posture, and the warmth of the horse's body relaxes the thigh adductors. For severe forms of cerebral palsy we chose passive hippotherapy, with the patient sitting on the horse or lying across it.

Hippotherapy was a welcome addition to the rehabilitation of the young patients at our hospital. Besides its positive effect on their health, the children saw it as fun and the horse Keska as a big friend who makes no difference between children who can walk and those who cannot. Thanks to Mrs Janečková's sensitive approach, hippotherapy became a favourite procedure and contributed to an overall improvement in our patients' health.