Lee, Seong, & Yong
J Phys Ther Sci (2014) 

Description
The aim of this study was to examine the the effects of hippotherapy on gait and balance ability in patients with stroke. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty stroke patients were randomly divided into a hippotherapy group and a treadmill group and they conducted exercise for eight weeks.

Results
Berg Balance Scale score, gait velocity, and step length asymmetry ratio were significantly improved in the group receiving hippotherapy training. However, in the group receiving treadmill training, only step length asymmetry ratio was significantly improved. In the comparison between the hippotherapy group and treadmill group, there was no significant difference in Berg Balance Scale score, but a significant difference was found in gait velocity and step length asymmetry ratio.

Conclusion
The results of this study indicated that hippotherapy is a helpful treatment for stroke patients

Beinotti, F
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria (2010)

Description
To evaluate the hippotherapy influence on gait training in post-stroke hemiparetic individuals. METHOD: The study was constituted of 20 individuals divided into two groups. Group A performed the conventional treatment while group B the conventional treatment along with hippotherapy during 16 weeks. The patients were evaluated by using the Functional Ambulation Category Scale, Fugl-Meyer Scale, only the lower limbs and balance sub items, Berg Balance Scale, and functional assessment of gait (cadence) in the beginning and end of the treatment. 

Results
Significant improvements were observed in the experimental group including motor impairment in lower limbs (p=0.004), balance, over time (p=0.007) but a significant trend between groups (p=0.056). The gait independence, cadence and speed were not significantly in both groups (p=0.93, 0.69 and 0.44). 

Conclusion
Hippotherapy associated with conventional physical therapy has proved to be a good resource in the treatment of gait training for hemiparetic patients after stroke. The improvements in motor impairment of lower limbs, the independence of ambulation, of cadence and speed confirm this finding. Thus the patients in the experimental group showed a greater approximation of the normal gait standard than the control group.