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Saddle Up!

But Does it Really Work? The Research Agrees

Bill Benda looks like he ought to be a cast member on television's "ER" — and not just because his background includes over 25 years as an emergency room doctor.

RESOURCES Therapeutic riding won't necessarily replace other forms of physical therapy, and it isn't right for everyone with a neuromuscular disorder. Check with your doctor or licensed physical therapist. To plan your Oregon horseback adventure, or to find adaptive riding equipment, contact: Adaptive Riding Institute Horses for the Physically Challenged P.O. Box 280 Scotts Mills, OR 97375 (503) 873-3890 www.AdaptiveRidingInstitute.org To find a therapeutic riding center near you, contact: North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) P.O. Box 33150 Denver, CO 80233 (800) 369-RIDE (7433) www.narha.org

As director of medical and public affairs for the National Integrative Medicine Council (NIMC), and a "horse person," Benda is a man with a mission. Working with TROT co-founder Nancy McGibbon, Benda's putting the finishing touches on a research project that he hopes will provide analytical evidence of the therapeutic benefits of horseback riding.

"There are hundreds of years' worth of anecdotal evidence that this works," says Benda, of Tucson. "But doctors and scientists need data."

According to Benda, there are three basic ways to use a horse therapeutically, depending on the nature of the rider's disability. The first way is known as "equine experiential learning" — which comes from grooming and interaction with the horse. The second level is simple therapeutic riding under the supervision of a riding instructor. The third level — hippotherapy — consists of specially trained therapists, using specific techniques to accomplish set objectives.

"We don't have to create hippotherapy," Benda states. "Our goal is to validate hippotherapy."

Phase 1 of the Benda/McGibbon study centered around simple therapeutic riding, measuring changes in muscle spasticity in children with cerebral palsy before, during and after a 10-minute ride. Benda expects to publish the results of the study this fall.

Kaufmann confirms that not only is NARHA anxiously awaiting publication of the results of the Benda/McGibbon report, the organization provided $60,000 toward the equipment necessary to conduct the study, as well.

"There are many researchers at NARHA programs," Kaufmann says. "But it has been difficult to get a national, concerted effort to come up with research. It all depends on individuals — like Dr. Benda — who not only want to do it, but are able to do it properly."

Tommy Groeger (right) and Andrew Oaks exchange "high fives."

Serious Fun

At the risk of offending Couch Potato and his fellow hippotherapists, Knaus-Hardy thinks of horses as perhaps the ultimate enablers of accessibility.

"We use all of the same techniques to get a rider ready to ride, and for flexibility, and to teach balance," she says of her institute, located near the scenic Silver Falls State Park of Oregon. "But our goal is to get the person out so they can camp and ride and visit wild areas."

The Adaptive Riding Institute offers a wide variety of services for people with disabilities, regardless of experience. In addition to everything from guided trail rides to camping trips, the institute's menu includes a full range of adaptive equipment to accommodate virtually any form of disability.

"People travel here from all over the United States, who ride routinely at their local programs," Knaus-Hardy reports. "We try to give people an opportunity to experience different places you might never get to see if you're limited to wherever your chair can take you."

Knaus-Hardy and Adaptive Riding Institute co-founder Sue Rosen also plan to publish a book this year, called Beyond the Boundaries, on how to incorporate therapeutic riding principles into wilderness riding activities.

Riding Off Into the Sunset ...

While Andrew and Tommy exchange their final high fives before going home, Couch Potato is far too busy getting ready for his next client to comment for this article. But Elisa Penn offers one final thought on his behalf:

"Please come out and try," she says. "There's a place for everybody."