Using animals for medical care has a long history. Animals have long been recognized for their ability to improve human health and well-being throughout nations and civilizations.
Animal-assisted therapy is a concept that incorporates intentional and regulated interactions between individuals and animals to achieve therapeutic aims.
Hippotherapy is an
animal-assisted therapy consisting of medical procedures and practices that use horses to restore and enhance physical and mental health. The effectiveness of
hippotherapy is evidenced by its ability to have a favorable influence on various domains, encompassing physical, psychosocial, and educational aspects. This multifaceted method entails the active involvement of the sensory, musculoskeletal, vestibular, and visual systems.
Hippotherapy is an unconventional modality, leveraging horses' cyclic and repetitive motions to activate the postural reflex structures of individuals. Various studies have mostly focused on determining the efficacy of hippotherapy in the context of neurological conditions, neuro-rehabilitation, and
psychiatric disorders. The primary objective of this study was to present the effectiveness of
hippotherapy in the fields of rheumatology,
pain medicine, and geriatrics. In addition, we provided a summary of the potential underlying mechanisms of
hippotherapy. Finally, we conducted a comparison of
hippotherapy and horse riding simulator interventions to provide their respective strengths and restrictions.