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Evaluating the efficacy of hippotherapy: a promising intervention in rheumatology, pain medicine, and geriatrics

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Abstract

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.

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Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Health Sciences, Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey

    Burhan Fatih Kocyigit

  2. Central City Clinical Hospital, Almaty, Kazakhstan

    Erbolat Adilbekov

  3. Department of Surgical Diseases, Kazakhstan Medical University “KSPH”, Almaty, Kazakhstan

    Samat Zharmenov

  4. Aura Med Clinic, Almaty, Kazakhstan

    Samat Zharmenov

  5. Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Application and Research Center, Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep, Turkey

    Ahmet Akyol

  6. Department of Biology and Biochemistry, South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, Shymkent, Kazakhstan

    Marlen Yessirkepov

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  1. Burhan Fatih Kocyigit
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  4. Ahmet Akyol
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  5. Marlen Yessirkepov
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Contributions

Study design and conceptualization: BFK, EA, SZ, AA, and MY. Data acquisition and review of the literature: BFK, EA, SZ, AA, and MY. Making interpretations: BFK, EA, SZ, AA, and MY. Writing–original draft: BFK. Writing–critically reviewing and editing the manuscript: BFK, EA, SZ, AA, and MY. Final approval: BFK, EA, SZ, AA, and MY.

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Correspondence to Burhan Fatih Kocyigit.

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Kocyigit, B.F., Adilbekov, E., Zharmenov, S. et al. Evaluating the efficacy of hippotherapy: a promising intervention in rheumatology, pain medicine, and geriatrics. Rheumatol Int 43, 2185–2191 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-023-05451-x

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