How equine therapy promotes focus and tactile skills in children with developmental disorder

Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)—most notably Asperger’s syndrome and autism—hinder children from having normal verbal and non-verbal communication abilities, make them over-focus on a certain area of interest, and turn them clumsy and repetitive with their speech patterns. Medication is often used to alleviate the conditions, but is often taken only to control symptoms like hyperactivity or seizures. Thus far, there has been no known cure for these disorders yet.

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Recent studies, however, reveal that animal-assisted therapy can be highly beneficial for children with PDD. Equine (horseback riding) therapy, for example, has shown to have positive effects on the physical, emotional, social, cognitive, behavioral, and educational skills of patients. The rhythmic motion of riding a horse helps kids to indirectly enhance their focusing senses, triggered primarily by the slow, deliberate, and relaxing movement of the animal.

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Apart from providing rhythmic motion benefits, equine therapy also stimulates tactile senses. Patients get to feel the horse’s skin, mane, nose, and tail. Being able to distinguish the surface qualities of these animal parts, children are able to develop their verbal communication skills and interest in other physical objects.

As per research, introducing children to “animal friends” helps them relax and lower their stress. The playful nature of animals draw patients out of their shells, helping them become more relationally open to others.  

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Turn-About Ranch is an adolescent treatment center in Utah that caters to the needs of troubled youth through equine therapy and other programs. Visit its official website for more information.