Pediatric Hippotherapy for Behavioral Challenges
in Pea Ridge, AR
If your child has trouble with behavior, they can face challenges in school, with making friends, and with participating in daily activities. At Unbridled Pediatric Therapies, we combine traditional occupational therapy with therapeutic horse-riding (hippotherapy) to help kids develop better self-regulation skills so they can thrive in all areas of life.
What Are Behavioral Challenges?
When we talk about behavioral challenges, we mean patterns of behavior that are disruptive, aggressive, and persistent beyond the age when a child should learn to handle their own emotions and actions more easily.
Often, behavioral challenges are a symptom of underlying causes such as sensory processing difficulties, anxiety, developmental delays, or other conditions that affect a child’s ability to self-regulate and respond appropriately to their environment.
Common Signs of Behavioral Challenges in Children
The most common signs of behavioral challenges that we see in children include:
- Hitting, kicking, biting, or other physical aggression
- Verbal aggression, such as yelling or name-calling
- Meltdowns or tantrums that are excessive for the child’s age or the situation
- Acting without thinking, leading to unsafe or inappropriate behavior
- Difficulty calming down once upset
- Difficulty making or keeping friends
- Inability to sit still or stay focused
How Pediatric Occupational Therapy Combined with Hippotherapy Can Treat Behavioral Challenges
Pediatric occupational therapy is effective at teaching children how to better manage their emotions and behavior so they can handle daily tasks more easily. But when you combine it with hippotherapy, the achievable outcomes exceed what clinic-based treatment can do alone.
Here are some of the reasons why you should consider equine-assisted occupational therapy for your child:
1. It improves self-regulation
Hippotherapy provides proprioceptive input (awareness of the body in space) and vestibular input (sense of balance and motion). The rhythmic and predictable motion of the horse can activate these systems and release chemicals in the brain like dopamine and histamine. These chemicals help organize the child’s body and mind, which in turn improves behavior.
2. It supports social and emotional development
Being around and riding the horse is inherently rewarding for many children and serves as a strong motivator for positive behavior. And by helping to care for the horse through grooming and other activities, children learn about natural consequences and responsibility. The horse becomes a relatable and emotionally engaging way to teach life skills and behavioral lessons.
3. It supports key areas of the brain
A horse’s walking pattern closely resembles the natural movement of the human pelvis during walking. Over the course of a typical 20-minute session, the horse takes approximately 3,000 steps, which offers a high level of repetitive motion that supports the development of new neural pathways in the brain. This can help improve motor planning, sensory processing, and behavioral responses.
4. It’s fun!
Hippotherapy combines movement, sensory input, communication, and emotional engagement in a way that traditional therapy settings cannot replicate. For children with behavioral challenges, this treatment method helps address multiple areas at once and promotes progress in a highly motivating and fun environment.
Schedule a Free 15-Minute Phone Consultation Today
Want to find out how pediatric hippotherapy can support your child’s behavioral development? Take advantage of our free 15-minute phone consultation! During this consultation, you’ll speak with a member of the Unbridled Pediatric Therapy team who can answer your questions and explain how your child can benefit from equine-assisted occupational therapy.
Give us a call at (479) 250-9838 or fill out our online form to schedule your consultation today!
