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Hip-Hop therapy is part of therapeutic riding.

It uses the natural gait and movement of the horse to provide sensory and motor stimuli to the rider. Historically, hippotherapy was first mentioned by Hippocrates. Since 1960, it has been used as an additional therapy in the European countries of Germany, Sweden and Austria and a decade later in America. The American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) was founded in 1992 and established training criteria for therapists. In Greece, in 2009, the “Panhellenic Association of Horse Therapists and Educators of Therapeutic Riding” (PASIETHI) and the “Scientific Society of Therapeutic Riding and Horse Therapy of Greece (EETHIE)” were founded.

Horseback riding provides rhythmic movements that activate anterior and posterior swinging movements, which results in the exercise of the paraspinal muscles. In addition, the horse’s movements encourage the rider to maintain proper posture and balance, activating a large number of muscles in the body. The multifaceted swinging rhythm of the horse’s gait affects the bones of the pelvic girdle twice as strongly as the person’s own gait. This process is more fun and has better compliance levels, especially in young children (1).

Cerebral palsy (CP) refers to an umbrella of diseases that is due to permanent and non-progressive damage to the brain and is characterized by movement disorders and a large number of convulsions resulting from brain damage.

The prevalence is 2-3 per 1000 births. Its treatment includes a program of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, while hippotherapy has been gradually integrated in recent years.

The experience begins in 2002 (2) with the report of its beneficial effects in 14 children with CP after an 18-week program (1 hour 3 times a week), with a statistically significant increase in the score on the clinical tool GMFM (Gross Motor Function Measure). In 2010, a study in 6 children with CP (3) found improvement in head and trunk control after a 12-week hippotherapy program. In 2019, a study in 24 children with CP (4) showed that in addition to the improvement in the GMFM score, there were statistically significant differences in the improvement in the quality of life in the patients’ families, especially in the area of ​​positive thinking. Several studies with a small number of participants have been published in recent years.

The results of a recent 2022 meta-analysis (5) by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), which included 26 studies from 14 countries and 755 patients, showed a positive effect on GMFM, especially in the field of walking, and suggested its beneficial effect on children with CP who are learning to walk or have managed to walk independently.

In conclusion, hippotherapy seems to have a positive effect on movement in children with CP, especially in those who walk independently or with support. The emotional parameter is also important, as interaction with horses makes the treatment more enjoyable for young patients, while positive effects have also been described in the emotional field of their parents.