Balance, Posture, Gait
The Importance of Balance, Posture, and Gait,
Balance is the ability to maintain your center of gravity usually in an upright position over a base of support(1). The ability to maintain balance involves a complex interaction between many systems including the musculoskeletal, vestibular, proprioception, and visual system as well as motor modulation from the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex (1). Balance and posture are important for safety as well as participating in many daily tasks (1). It is hard to participate in any activity if you are not balanced (1). Many different disabilities and injuries can impair a person’s ability to balance and walk. This is often difficult loss for many people and improvement in ambulation becomes an important goal in therapy.
Using horses in treatment to Improve Balance and Stability
The movement of the horse challenges the client's balance and posture by challenging their vestibular system and strengthening their core muscles and their sense of balance. The client’s balance is constantly being challenged whenever they are on the horse. The positive effects are possible due to the rhythmic stride of the horse’s gait that challenges the client by encouraging them to maintain their posture. When a client is mounted on the horse their pelvis will move the same way as if they were walking (10). In a 45-minute treatment session, a client will experience several thousand horse strides, each challenging their gait, stability and strength in a 3-dimensional movement (2). Completing several thousand repetitions of any activity is highly unlikely in traditional therapy settings, let alone one that simulates walking. This treatment is so beneficial because the client is receiving massed practice that enables strengthening of gait and trunk postural control (9).
As described in the activities listed, there are many different ways to challenge the clients balance, posture, and gait while they are mounted on the horse during the treatment session. By changing positions on the horse, the clients' balance and posture is challenged through the process of changing positions and sitting in a new position (2). Each position challenges different core muscles. Having the client engage in a variety of activities while mounted will also improve their balance and stability. When the client engages in activities with their hands and are reaching off of their centerline they are relying completely on their trunk muscles to maintain their balance on the horse. Changing the speed of the horse's gait and varying their direction of movement will further challenge the clients' balance and posture. The activities listed of to the right can be used in treatment to further challenge the clients' balance and stability.
