Science & Equine

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Written by Sophie Delemarre
Posted in Rider fitness

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Horse riding after a stroke

In case of a stroke (especially in the last phase of the rehabilitation) training is done on a functional level and in a challenging environment. Little research has been done into the use of horses and horse riding in this specific patient group. The aim of this study was to discover whether the use of horses can be an added value in patients who rehabilitate after a stroke.

This research showed very clearly that horseback riding, working with horses and the group feeling that horseback riding entails has enormous added value in the final phase of rehabilitation after a stroke. Apart from driving, contact with other riders was also seen as a good addition to therapy. The article states that it may also be a solution to the loneliness that many patients experience after a stroke.

Do you know people who have had a stroke? 

Expert opinion by Sophie Delemarre

I work as a physiotherapist myself, and I think that horseriding can certainly be a very good addition to the functional therapy!

> From: Pohl et al., PLoS ONE 13(9) (2018) 1-18. All rights reserved to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Click here for the online summary.

Image by: paulickreport.com