A Comparison of Equine-Assisted Services for People with Motor Speech Disorders

Introduction

The study begins by introducing Equine-Assisted Services (EAS), an umbrella term encompassing a variety of activities that utilize horses to provide therapeutic benefits. EAS includes both Equine-Assisted Interventions (EAI), such as physical and speech therapy conducted by credentialed professionals, and Equine-Assisted Activities (EAA), like therapeutic or adapted riding led by trained instructors.

Equine-Assisted Interventions (EAI) focus on specific therapeutic goals. For example, a speech-language pathologist may integrate horse movement into a session to facilitate speech motor control. Equine-Assisted Activities (EAA) typically center around improving quality of life through therapeutic riding sessions that provide secondary physical or cognitive benefits. This article specifically addresses the impact of three types of EAS: classic hippotherapy, therapeutic/adapted riding, and speech therapy incorporating hippotherapy.

Hippotherapy: A Tool for Therapy

The study provides an in-depth explanation of hippotherapy, a therapeutic tool used within equine-assisted interventions. Hippotherapy involves the dynamic movement of a walking horse, which transmits consistent, rhythmic motion to the rider's nervous system. This motion facilitates sensorimotor integration and cannot be replicated in any mechanical or static manner. The three-dimensional motion of a horse can simulate the pelvic movement seen during normal human walking, thereby improving postural control and dynamic stabilization.

Existing research supports the benefits of hippotherapy in improving motor skills, balance, coordination, sensory integration, and emotional stability for individuals with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder. These benefits are also hypothesized to extend to individuals with motor speech disorders, given the high demands that speech production places on sensorimotor coordination.

Study Purpose

The primary aim of the study was to investigate the effects of classic hippotherapy, therapeutic/adapted riding, and speech therapy incorporating hippotherapy on the coordination of speech in individuals with motor speech disorders. The study measured changes in diadochokinetic (DDK) rates, which reflect speech motor coordination by timing the rapid repetition of syllables.

Methods

The research employed a mixed design with 117 participants diagnosed with either dysarthria or apraxia of speech. Diadochokinetic tasks were conducted before and after participants engaged in one of the three types of EAS. DDK rates were recorded for syllables such as /pa/, /ta/, /ka/, and /pataka/, and each task was repeated twice for accuracy.

Participants were divided into groups based on their type of EAS:

• Classic Hippotherapy Sessions: These focused purely on the horse's movement without any interaction between the participant and the therapist. Horse only, no human intervention.

• Therapeutic/Adapted Riding Sessions: Horse + therapeutic riding. These included riding exercises led by a certified therapeutic riding instructor.

• Speech Therapy Incorporating Hippotherapy: Horse + Speech Therapy. This combined the horse's movement with evidence-based speech therapy techniques led by a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP).

In the speech therapy sessions, various treatment strategies were used to address specific speech issues related to dysarthria and apraxia. For instance, speech therapy techniques were paired with the rhythmic movement of the horse to facilitate better articulation, prosody, and phoneme production.

Results

All three types of EAS showed statistically significant improvements in participants' DDK rates, indicating improved speech coordination following each intervention. However, the speech therapy sessions incorporating hippotherapy yielded the most pronounced effects, showing tenfold improvements in coordination compared to the other two EAS approaches.

Key findings include:

• Horse only and therapeutic/adapted riding sessions produced significant improvements in speech motor coordination, although their results were relatively similar to each other.

• Speech therapy incorporating hippotherapy demonstrated much larger improvements, with participants showing a marked reduction in DDK times across all syllables tested.

These results suggest that while the movement of a walking horse alone can improve speech coordination, integrating speech-language pathology intervention with the horse’s movement optimizes therapeutic outcomes for individuals with motor speech disorders.

Discussion

The findings reinforce the efficacy of equine-assisted interventions for improving motor coordination in speech. Classic hippotherapy and therapeutic riding both offer benefits, but speech therapy that incorporates the movement of a horse stands out as particularly effective. The results align with previous research that highlights the ability of hippotherapy to stimulate the neuromuscular system and improve postural control. However, combining the horse’s dynamic movement with specific, evidence-based speech therapy techniques maximizes the therapeutic effect.

The success of this integrated approach may be attributed to the unique interaction between the horse's movement and the rider's motor system, which provides a multisensory experience. This creates a highly motivating and effective environment for practicing speech tasks. The study suggests that the rhythmic, symmetric movement of the horse helps improve speech production by engaging the same sensorimotor pathways that are essential for clear, coordinated speech.

The findings underscore the potential for integrating equine-assisted therapy with traditional speech therapy interventions to enhance outcomes for individuals with motor speech disorders. Additionally, the study points out the importance of continued research into the mechanisms that underlie these improvements, particularly the role that sensory and motor input play in facilitating speech.

Conclusion

The article concludes by affirming the effectiveness of integrating speech therapy with hippotherapy as a therapeutic intervention for motor speech disorders. While all three equine-assisted services showed positive outcomes, the combination of speech therapy and hippotherapy offers superior results, demonstrating significant improvements in speech coordination.

This research has significant implications for professionals working with individuals with motor speech disorders, suggesting that incorporating equine-assisted services into therapy plans may lead to enhanced communication skills and overall quality of life. Future research should continue to explore innovative combinations of therapeutic strategies and examine their long-term impacts on individuals with motor speech challenges.