1. Stimulates: righting and equilibrium reactions; normal postural adjustment and postural fixation.
2. Inhibits: tonic neck and tonic labyrinthine reflexes; positive supporting reaction.
3. Normalizes tone: reduces spasticity and/or stabilizes athetosis.
4. Encourages: good posture; symmetry of hand use; independent hand use.
5. Improves: sitting and standing balance; coordination; hand grasp and reach; social skills (attention, following directions, etc.); motor planning skills.
6. Reduces: (or prevents) contractures and tightness; physical and mental complications secondary to inactivity feelings of inferiority and helplessness.
7. Provides: general strengthening; specific strengthening (shoulder, hand grip, elbow, ankle dorsi, knee and hip); motivation.

Specific individual problems can be attacked as necessary by means of specific exercises, games, mounting procedures, etc.

How it Works: Horseback riding is a dynamic treatment, rather than static. The rider's position is reflex-inhibiting (for example: pressure on the sole of the foot from the stirrup will not result in a positive supporting reaction while the entire leg is being held in flexion-abduction-external rotation by the horse; and moving the head in various directions is less likely to elicit reflexes while the rider is astride the horse).

Riding stimulates many sensory modalities - proprioceptive, tactile, auditory, visual, vestibular, etc.

Postural adjustment and maintenance is facilitated by displacements which are frequent, rhythmic, and of low amplitude.

There are several "types" of rhythm to choose from: walk: four-beat, "flowing slight symmetrical rotation trot: two-beat, "bouncing," well-defined up-and-down motion canter: three-beat, "rocking," faster movement, asymmetrical rotation (depending on direction of travel). Each of these can be emphasized by performing them over rows of poles laid on the ground, steadying the rhythm and increasing the amplitude.

Riding meets all criteria for aerobic exercise except for intensity; it could be use for low-level cardiovascular conditioning, especially in sedentary handicapped persons.

Goal-directed activity, rhythm, ect., encourages sub-cortical control and motor activity.

Some strengthening and stretching occurs naturally in the course of the lesson; specific exercises can be added or emphasized by the instructor.

Transitions from one gait to another require adjustment to a change of rhythm, speed and center of gravity, as well as the challenge of controlling the horse through those transitions.

Every rider is at a physical disadvantage with his horse. Mastering the animal in spite of this can make your physical disadvantage with other people seem less significant.

Remember: Any therapeutic modality that is purposeful and "fun" will be more effective than one which is boring and meaningless.

Reinforcement for effort comes immediately, encouraging further effort as well as promoting a positive attitude and a sense of general well-being and accomplishment. This helps the individual on two fronts: he is freed to perform motor acts on a more sub-cortical level, and he is allowed to see himself - and therefore his world - as something of intrinsic beauty and value.