Hippotherapy for Physical and Occupational Therapists working in Neurodisability

Susie Rehr & Jane Burrows Podcast, equine assisted therapy

Susie Rehr and Jane Burrows

Susan Rehr PT MS HPCS is the Co-Founder of Dynamic Foundations in Practice and the Executive Director of Special Strides and has been a physical therapist for 38 years. She has provided physical therapy services to the pediatric population, integrating hippotherapy treatment principles for the past 25 years. Quality care, clinical education, educational presentations, published writing, and national involvement are hallmarks of her career. She has presented six different times at the AHA conferences since 2011 on a variety of topics such as clinical education, postural control and breathing, EMR’s, and postural responses to equine movement. She has written numerous articles for the Hippotherapy Magazine as well as serving as the editor for 7 years. Clinical education, academic presentations, and guest lectures at several universities round out her presentation background. From 2011- 2017, Susie was on the Board of Directors of AHA, Inc. as the Treasurer and later the Vice President. In May 2023, Susie earned her Master of Science in Organizational Leadership.

Jane Burrows PT DPT HPCS is the Co-founder of Dynamic Foundations in Practice and the Director of Operations at Special Strides in New Jersey. She brings her 50 years of broad experience as a physical therapist and equine specialist in mental health and learning to bear on developing educational materials and resources for therapists utilizing equine movement as a clinical intervention. After earning her Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist credentials in 2010, she proceeded to lead the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) as President in 2015. Jane has made presentations at AHA conferences since 2015 and PATH 1. Understand and use the new terminology introduced in the prerequisite portion of the course to further their understanding of the integration of equine movement (hippotherapy). 2. Utilize their understanding of responses to equine movement to develop a safe and effective treatment plan. 3. Select an appropriate equine for therapy interventions based on new knowledge, equine welfare, and client presentation. 4. Develop, with their team, a movement plan to complement their treatment plan. 5. Begin, within their professional scope of practice, utilizing equine movement in a safe manner for the team and client with the mentorship of an experienced practitioner- live or virtual. 6. Integrate the new tools - core scorecard, ACTA © resources, and Wt CAP © (weight carrying capacity assessment protocol)- into a plan of care. conferences since 2016. She is a contributing author to Hippotherapy Magazine in a continuing series on equine health and training. Jane is an APTA-credentialed clinical instructor and, together with Susie Rehr, has co-authored and presented courses on various topics, including sensory integration, cerebral palsy, and an autism spectrum disorder.

This was such a fun interview - but be warned, once you’ve listened to Jane and Susie explaining the benefits and mechanism of equine-assisted therapy, you are going to want to go find yourself a stable with a few horses and get trained in hippotherapy if you’re not already. I was genuinely blown away by how the horse can be used to impact motor learning and how, as therapists, we can integrate the whole sensory-motor experience into our therapeutic goals. This interview will take you on a fascinating journey into hippotherapy - enjoy the ride.

Enjoy!!

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For handy links to things we've discussed in this interview, scroll down to the Resources Section at the bottom of the page.

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Podcast Highlights

01:35 Susie's Journey into Equine Movement
04:32 Jane's Path to Hippotherapy
08:47 Foundational Learning and Holistic Health
11:44 Impact of Hippotherapy on Clients
13:38 The Mechanics and Benefits of Equine Movement
23:28 Real-Life Success Stories
25:43 Translating Equine Movement to Daily Function
36:22 The Therapeutic Power of Horses
38:49 Exploring Different Uses of Horses in Therapy
39:58 Therapeutic Techniques and Terminology
48:02 Therapeutic Goals
50:09 The Science
52:21 Challenges and Considerations in Hippotherapy
54:59 Case Studies and Practical Applications
56:27 Addressing Common Questions and Misconceptions
01:09:17 Advice for New Therapists
01:11:43 Future Directions and Research in Hippotherapy
01:15:12 Conclusion and Contact Information

LINKS

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