The Impact of Therapeutic Horse Riding on Motor Function and Social Skills of Children with Cerebral Palsy

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of Therapeutic Horse Riding on Motor and Social Skills of children with Cerebral Palsy. Social skills are closely related to the quality of social relationships and the ability to communicate and collaborate in general (So & Brush, 2008). Motor function difficulties are common in cerebral palsy and can cause important activity restriction (Rosenbaum, et al., 2007). The sample of the research consisted of 30 participants (18 Special Educators and 12 Therapists). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with all participants in order to be collected sufficient data to triangulate. Results from the qualitative analysis shown that Therapeutic Horse Riding can benefit the development of social skills in children with Cerebral Palsy. Motor function can also be benefited due to the three-dimensional movement of the horse and heat from the body of it, which improves the blood circulation and contributes directly to the relaxation and reduction of spasticity. Though, the effect of Therapeutic Horse Riding on children with Cerebral Palsy, and other special needs are directly related to the child's particular needs.