Animal assisted therapy (AAT) has become a widely used therapeutic method to treat individuals with (mainly) physical impairments.

Hippotherapy is one such AAT, and it can improve the individual’s social integration and independence in activities of daily living. The movement of the horse helps accomplishing speech, swallowing, cognitive, physical, self esteem and occupational goals that were established in therapy.

The project is supporting the educators in providing innovative trainings and enhancing their knowledge, skills and competences. Since the regular hippotherapy training needs to have a generalized and standardized program, only certified therapists can apply.

Aims and objectives

Our project aims to warrant training the professionals to become a Hippotherapist and will allow this treatment to be available all over the country for this group with disadvantage. Since the regular Hippotherapy training needs to have generalized and standardized program, only certified therapists can apply.

As a result of this project the hippo therapist will be implemented in: Turkey (foremost), Romania, Bulgaria.

An ECVET compliant training will be developed, which will consist of theoretical and practical training, which is not established in these countries yet.

Sharing the experience about the good practices in other EU countries such as Romania and establish trainings to become a hippo therapist in Turkey as well as Bulgaria is the main goal of this project. This will also lead to the preparation of the legislation by the related ministries for this new profession.

Target groups

Registered physical or occupational therapist, and therapist assistants with at least minimum of basic horse experience in equine handling and care

Adaptive riding instructors, horse handlers, administrators, and others interested in hippotherapy principles with at least minimum of basic horse experience in equine handling and care

Speech language pathologist or a physician with at least minimum of basic horse experience in equine handling and care

Graduate occupational, speech, and physical therapists in their last semester of graduate school with at least minimum of basic horse experience in equine handling and care

Outcomes

HIPPOTHERAPY curriculum and training modules Mobile training and assessment application Repository of training videos

Project Web Site : https://www.hippotherapy-training.eu/

Project Facebook Site : https://www.facebook.com/HippotherapyProject/

Prof. Dr. Seyhan FIRAT (Gazi University Coordinator)