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The Children's
TherAplay Foundation was established as a nonprofit,
outpatient rehabilitation clinic in 2001. From the
beginning, TherAplay has incorporated the innovative idea of
using the movement of horses as a treatment tool within
physical and occupational therapy sessions for children with
special needs.
Equine-assisted therapy has been practiced in the US for
more than 30 years. Horse create a dynamic,
three-dimensional movement that cannot be reproduced in a
traditional clinic setting. The gait, or stride of the
horse, coupled with the animal's warmth, provides a number
of benefits, including:
Improvements in:
s muscle tone and strength
s gross motor skills such as
sitting, standing and
walking
s range of motion
s coordination
s endurance
Advances in:
s balance and equilibrium
s head and trunk control
s body awareness
s posture
s mobility
Positive effects on:
s eye-hand coordination
s limbic system function
related to arousal,
motivation and attention
s sensory-motor function
s oral motor control, voice
quality and vocal/verbal
communication
At TherAplay, each child's sessions are designed to achieve individual
therapeutic goals, which are determined by the TherAplay
treatment team in conjunction with the patient and their
family. Sessions are one-on-one and utilize the treatment
tools in our child-friendly clinic as well as the horse as a
tool.
TherAplay's horses are carefully chosen for their
temperament and the type of movement they produce. All are
specifically trained for their unique role within therapy
sessions and are guided by professional horse handlers,
which optimizes safety and effectiveness.
Because our program is so effective, TherAplay has grown to
become one of the largest clinics of its kind in the
country.
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