The Influences of the Ergonomic Work Analysis in Activities of a Center of Equine Therapy

Abstract

The Equine Therapy is the application of therapeutic method with practices that use horses. The Equine Therapy is the application of a therapeutic method with practices that uses horse and riding techniques, with the purpose of educating, in addition to rehabilitating people with disabilities. The care activity has as its main objective the therapeutic objective according to the practitioner’s needs and diagnosis. This activity is divided into three stages, the first being “putting the practitioner on the horse”, the second “developing the care” and finally “removing the practitioner from the horse”. With the purpose of evaluating how each professional pertaining to the Center of Equine Therapy performs its main activity, denominated therapeutic care, the ergonomic precepts were used in order to identify the musculoskeletal damages and constraints to the professionals of the area. As support for the analyzes, the procedures were forwarded according to the steps of the Ergonomic Work Analysis (EWA). The collection of information was by a questionnaire of perception and the individual follow-ups of each attendance with the recording through filming and photos. For the diagnosis, the Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS) was applied. As a result, it was verified the presence of multifactors that directly impact on the working conditions of equo-therapists. It stands out with high skeletal muscle constraint of equo-therapists, about 40% of eta-pas, in the care of a practitioner with special needs and chain.