| Murray Neale, the Executive Director from the Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding Inc., came to speak to the Summerville MS Support Group. The meeting took place on May 28, 2008 from 11 a.m. - l2:30 p.m at the Summerville Public Library. According to Ms. Neale, the staff at Charleston Area Therapeutic is certified in using horses as a treatment tool. They provide both Therapeutic Riding and Hippotherapy, which is a "Physician's Referred" therapy provided by a licensed health professional. There are two different kinds of hippotherapy - classic and regular. MS patients would benefit from the classic, as the horse's movement is what influences the body. A Bareback Pad and Surcingle with handles for balance are used in hippotherapy. Hippotherapy provides movement in several dimensions - lateral pelvic tilt, pelvic rotation and anterior/posterior pelvic tilt. |
 Murray Neale shows one kind of saddle used for therapeutic riding. |
A Helmet is also required when doing this type of therapy. A Winteck Saddle is made of a material, which is much softer than a leather saddle and can be used if the person needs more support than with a pad and surcingle. When attending hippotherapy classes riders may use several different equipment: - Peacock Stirrups are safety stirrups in riding. - Devon shire boots are used to give the person more stability & more surface area to balance their feet against. - Hand Holds are used for trotting. These are handles to hold onto to give more support. |
| Hippotherapy started after World War II. Nurses started using this form of therapy with soldiers in England and later in Germany when they saw benefits for the patients. All Horses that are used, go through a two-three week screening process. Only horses with a strong and springy back are used. These are middle-aged horses that are between the ages of 10-15 years old. Hippotherapy started after World War II. Nurses started using this form of therapy with soldiers in England and later in Germany when they saw benefits for the patients. |
The Horses movement improves:
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CATR riding sessions are held from September to the end of May. Hippotherapy is conducted by a physical therapist and is covered by most insurance, including Medicare. The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America has offered to fund therapeutic riding lessons for interested members of the Summerville MS Support Group in the 2008 fall season. |
