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Therapeutic horseback riding is the use of horses and equine-assisted activities in order to achieve goals that enhance physical, emotional, social, cognitive, behavioral and educational skills for people who have disabilities. It not only focuses on the therapeutic riding skills but also the development of a relationship between horse and rider. It uses a team approach in order to provide treatment for the individual with the guidance of riding instructor.〔All, A. C., Loving, G. L., & Crane, L. L. (1999). Animals, horseback riding, and implications for rehabilitation therapy. Journal of Rehabilitation, July/August/ September, 49-57.〕 Horses provide a unique neuromuscular stimulation when being ridden through their movement. Horses move in a rhythmic motion that mimics the human movement of walking. While riding, the horses stride acts to move the rider's pelvis in the same rotation and side-to-side movement that occurs when walking. The horses' adjustable gait promotes riders to constantly adjust the speed to achieve the desired pelvic motion while promoting strength, balance, coordination, flexibility and confidence.〔Borzo, G. (2002). Horsepower. American Medical News, 45 (23), 24-26.〕 One does not have to ride to achieve the desired effects of therapy. Horses can act as an aid by giving those with disabilities a companion to care for. Grooming such as brushing, bathing, and currying aid in joint range of motion and have a relaxing and calming effect. ==History== Horses have been utilized as a therapeutic aid since the ancient Greeks used them for those people who had incurable illnesses.〔Bizub, A. L., Joy, A., & Davidson, L. (2003). “It’s like being in another world”: Demonstrating the benefits of therapeutic horseback riding for individuals with psychiatric disability. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 26(4), 377- 384.〕 The benefits of therapeutic riding have been dated back to 17th century literature where it is documented that it was prescribed for gout, neurological disorder and low morale.〔Willis, D. A. (1997). Animal therapy. Rehabilitation Nursing, 22(2), 78-81.〕 The term "therapeutic riding" was originally used in Germany to address orthopedic dysfunctions such as scoliosis. The physician would engage a physical therapist and a specially-trained horse and instructor to address the strength and orthopedic dysfunction for one year, after which the patient was discharged. The physical therapist worked with the physician and the patient to attain the patient's goals, and the instructor was responsible for the horse. This later became known as hippotherapy in the US. Therapeutic riding techniques used today started with Liz Hartel from Denmark. Her legs were paralyzed from polio but with therapy she was able to win the silver medal for dressage in the 1952 Olympic Games. The first riding centers in North America began in the 1960s and the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association(NARHA) was launched in 1969.〔Benda, W., Fredrickson, M., Flanagan, S., Zembreski-Ruple, J., & McGibbon, N. H. (2000). Animal-assisted therapy: A highly versatile modality. Complementary Medicine for the Physician, 5(6), 41-48.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Therapeutic horseback riding」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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