Hippotherapy / Therapeutic Equitation / Paradressage

Since a few dozens of years ago, studies have been made about the relationships between men and animals, showing its complexity and multiplicity, according to the animals and humans characteristics. Many children that shy away from human relationships easily connect with animals, especially horses.

The horse accepts the individual just the way he is, and so the relationship feels safe and not ambiguous. There isn’t a precise registry about the time when the horses started helping impaired individuals. On a historic perspective, references can be found about the benefits of riding, as early as Hippocrates writings in the IV century BC. Afterwards, several references started to surface, but it was the Olympic medal that Lis Hartel won in 1952, a young girl disabled at the neurological level, due to having suffered from poliomyelitis, that highlighted the use of the horse as a therapeutic agent, and as a consequence for sport.

To approach Paradressage we have to briefly explain the concepts of Hipotherapy and Therapeutic Equitation because the athletes derive mainly from these two intervening areas.

Hippotherapy

t is a strictly clinical orientation approach, and it’s prescription should only be made by a neurological specialist and should be followed by a neuro-physiotherapist, with specific knowledge of the horse neuro-physiology and all of its central nervous system, in a way that enhances the relation of the animal neurological reactions with those of the patient.

Therapeutic Equitation

It is meant for the disabled or people with special needs, with certain characteristics, that demand a specialized approach to their needs. Its purpose is to help and develop their physical and mental capacities. This will allow them to have a better integration in society and as a consequence of that, better quality of life, through the equitation and relation with the horse.
Therapeutic Equitation it’s a practice that allows the multidimensional movement of the horse to improve the neuro-muscular function and the sensorial processing. It should always be prescribed by a health technician and followed by a physiotherapist, as well as an adaptive equitation monitor. The horse’s gaits allow benefits on the physical, psychological and social level.
This type of approach has as benefits:

• Increases cardio-pulmonary capacity;
• Improves blood circulation;
• Strengthens the muscular mass;
• Strengthens the immunological system;
• Improves the joints capacity;
• Increases the resistance to strain;
• Facilitates movement;
• Relaxes;
• Favours the main sensorial channels: hearing, vision, touch and smell;
• It promotes psychomotor development, contributing for balance, for spatial orientation, for motor coordination, laterality, for the rhythm, time and body conscience;
• Develops the acquisition of gestures, automatisms, capacity of reaction, and coordination;
• Increases the self control of involuntary movements, gesture precision and posture correction;
• Develops an emotional capacity and self confidence;
• Develops responsibility, respect, competition, confidence on others, emotional self control, self control, personal discipline, emotional and auto reflexion control;
• Encourages decision making, independence, tenacity, improves the self image and stability;
• Allows and promotes socialization and favours affection bonds;
• Improves communication, favours learning, develops memory, attention and concentration capacity;
• It’s fun, teaches and trains new competences, tasks and demands and active involvement;

Adaptive Equitation

Adaptive Equitation is the Therapeutic Equitation sport branch. It finds its maximum importance at the Paralympics Games in the Paradressage discipline.
This discipline has as base the discipline of Dressage, using the same basic rules with some adaptations. Its rule book can be consulted at the Portuguese Equestrian Federation website.

The Adaptive Equitation began to develop during the 70’s in several countries. Only in 1984, at the World Games in New York, the first international show of the discipline was made. Since then, several international shows have been organized. The first participation of disabled riders at the World Championship was in 1987 in Sweden. Only in 1996 it was declared as an official discipline in the Atlanta Paralympics where for the first time, riders from 16 countries competed. Already in Sydney 2000, 24 countries were qualified, contributing with a total of 72 riders. At these Games, Great Britain was the country that won more medals, not differing much of today. The number of participants has been substantially increasing. At the World Championship in Belgium in 2003, riders from 36 countries competed. Portugal had a team of four elements on that Championship.

This discipline premiered in Portugal at the World Championship in Wilhelmsburg, Denmark, with the rider Daniel Cunha. He was 18th among 24 competitors at his level. In 2002 the Europe Championship were held at Anadia, having the participation of riders from several countries.

In 2003, Portugal participated with 4 riders on the 5th World Championship in Moorsele, Belgium, not making the direct qualification for the Paralympics Games. However, the Paralympics Committee issued a wild card for Portugal to participate at the Athens 2004 Paralympics Games. Portugal was represented by Miranda do Corvo and Carlos Baptista Pereira. They placed in 13th and showed with a borrowed horse from England!!!!!!

Last year at the 2008 Paralympics Games, in China, with had the honour to watch the rider Sara Duarte showing, with her horse Neapolitano and placing 5th in the Freestyle.