Horse therapy and how it helps with my MS

Tanya shares how her horses have helped to keep her MS symptoms at bay for MS Awareness Week 2022

I have been asymptomatic for many years now and one thing that has consistently helped me has been my daily dose of horses.

Horse therapy, or hippotherapy as it is known, has helped me to

• Keep up my strength – by increasing muscle tone
• Improve my balance, coordination, motor control, core strength and posture
• Maintain a healthy mental state
• Reduce fatigue

The daily grooming and caring for my horses is very rewarding and soothing – the bond built between us is mutually beneficial.

The release of the ‘love’ or ‘cuddle’ hormone oxytocin when hugging or touching animals has been shown to have a calming effect and can influence your emotions and mental health. Studies show that oxytocin may lower your stress hormone cortisol and may help to lower anxiety and reduce episodes of depression. I feel so happy and relaxed when I am close to my horses.

I gain the most benefits from riding my horse and maintaining and improving muscle tone. The shape of the horse’s back and the horse’s actual movements make horse riding ideal for therapy. The up and down, back and forth and side to side movement of a horse’s pelvis is very similar to the movement of a person’s pelvis when walking. Just sitting on the back of a horse can also be beneficial as it can stretch hip joints and reduce pain and spasticity in leg muscles.

I gain the most benefits from riding my horse and maintaining and improving muscle tone. The shape of the horse’s back and the horse’s actual movements make horse riding ideal for therapy. The up and down, back and forth and side to side movement of a horse’s pelvis is very similar to the movement of a person’s pelvis when walking. Just sitting on the back of a horse can also be beneficial as it can stretch hip joints and reduce pain and spasticity in leg muscles.

The benefits of horse riding have been studied in an EU research project which showed the effectiveness of hippotherapy for the treatment of fatigue and other daily disabilities in MS patients. The consistent record of improvement was striking with comments such as “no more bladder problems; chronic constipation disappeared, enjoy having sex again, balance improvements.” When asked what they liked most about hippotherapy, one patient replied “sitting on the horse and realising the changes in my body.” Hippotherapy really can help! It helps me every day!