A study highlighted in Medical News Today further supports the benefits of hippotherapy with regard to behavioral tasks and cognitive development. Hippotherapy is the use of horseback riding as a therapeutic or rehabilitative treatment.
The full article is available on the Frontiers in Public Health website. Interestingly, the results indicate that the benefit may be linked to the horse's vibration/gait, which can vary by horse. So some horses may provide better benefit than others.
This study was conducted in typical children aged 10-12. However, hippotherapy is commonly recommended for children with PWS and was described in the blog post PWS Early Interventions: 5 Therapies for Prader-Willi Syndrome.
Within the Global PWS Registry, 38% of participants report having tried hippotherapy. Of those who have tried it, 70% report noticeable, meaningful benefit for their loved one in behavior, mental health, and / or coping.
For more information on hippotherapy, visit the American Hippotherapy Association website.
