Equine-assisted speech therapy chock full of benefits, users say

By Gillian Slade on August 22, 2019.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com
@MHNGillianSlade

Speech therapy while riding a horse has a range of benefits, including physical.

Sandy Redden, speech-language pathologist Speech Language Works, says the movement of the horse actually facilitates speech.

Hunter Roth, 9, did not speak when he was little. When he did finally speak it was not easy to understand what he was saying, said his mother Amanda.

Riding a horse is also addressing Hunter’s gross motor skills delay. Many of the big muscles in his body are not functioning properly yet. Amanda says his body is so flexible he is extremely cautious and makes himself stiff.

The movement created by the horse helps Hunter without him even knowing it.

“His body has to respond/react to that movement (of the horse),” said Redden.

Hunter is helped to mount the horse and a wide leather “belt” around his waist ensures staff on each side of him hold him securely and safely. As the horse walks Redden talks to Hunter, who is now fine-tuning his speech and paying particular attention to the pronunciation of words with an “L” at the end. Looking at some prompt cards he pronounces words such as ‘seal’ and ‘squirrel.’

“While on the horse, because the movement is predictable physically, it is easier (for Hunter) to focus on certain tasks,” said Redden.

She says Hunter is now working on speaking more clearly with inflection and  ensuring the person he is talking to can hear and understand him.

She also makes sure he is sitting upright on the horse with good posture throughout the lesson.

From time to time Redden has Hunter change his position on the horse, either sitting sideways or even backwards. 

“Often backwards, that movement is more stimulating for speech,” said Redden.

They walk up hill and down hill and Hunter even holds his arms straight out from his shoulders while sitting up straight.

Redden says each horse gives different movement so simply switching horses can also add to the therapy. Even the surface the horse is walking on changes things. The horse inside the arena walking on sand feels different for Hunter compared to the grass outside, each creates different movement.

Hunter lives on a farm and has always liked horses. He has a lesson with Redden once a week at the Forsyth Ranch arena.

If children are not initially comfortable with horses they will start them off with just grooming the horse and then walking it.

Redden says the children soon build a bond.

The horse is led back to the arena and the platform where Hunter dismounts. He’s been smiling and looks as though he’s enjoyed himself. He carefully negotiates the three or four steps he must climb down and says “it was a bit wobbly.”

Hunter’s little brother Archer, 5, is also struggling with clear speech and he’s up next for a lesson. 

Redden says equine-assisted speech language therapy has been used in the U.S. since about 1980. It is more recent in Canada and there are only about 10 places where it is offered across the country.

The program can help to address articulation delays and disorders, receptive and expressive language delays, social communication, apraxia of speech, stuttering, voice issues, down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, auditory processing disorder, developmental delays, and cognitive communication difficulties as a result of a stroke, brain injury or degenerative diseases.

You can reach Speech Language Works in Medicine Hat at 403-580-3804.

24
-23