Hipporehabilitation at the Felin Experimental Farm of the Agricultural University in 2000–2006

Abstrakt

Hippotherapy was performed with four geldings (Małopolski Horse, Polish Konik and Hutzul Horse) and four mares (Felin Pony). The horses were included into the hippotherapeutic treatment program at the age of 47–124 months. and their conformation variability allowed to satisfy the patients` needs. The data of patients under the therapeutic program organized at the Felin Experimental Farm over 2000–2006 were supplied by a hippotherapist team and the Associa-tion for Movement Disabled Children and Youth.
A total of 137 patients took part in the equine-assisted therapy. The average number of ses-sions/patient/month ranged from 14.67 in 2000 up to 29.25 in 2004. The number of patients/ horse/ day ranged between 2.36 in 2006 to 3.38 in 2001. The mean number of 30 min-sessions per thera-pist daily oscillated from 2.09 (2001) up to 4.59 (2004). The calculated values appeared to be lower than those laid out in The Canons of Polish Hippotherapy (4 h/day). Significant and highly significant statistical differences recorded between the absolute means (number of sessions and patients) and the relative ones(number of sessions/ horse and / therapist) in the consecutive years gave evidence for the ongoing development of the hippotherapeutic center in Felin.
Among the clients served by the center, there was a group of patients who attended the therapy sessions regularly and it is a promising predictor for the equine-assisted therapy to be used as a valid branch of rehabilitation and recognized as such by handicapped children`s parents, doc-tors and the whole society.