Will Horseback Riding Help My ADHD?

Horses have been used since ancient times in the treatment of human disease.  However, the use of horses in the formal treatment of ADHD has only really been around for about 25 years.  There are several different ways horses have been used in the treatment of ADHD, and unfortunately none have been well studied.

Therapeutic horseback riding.  Therapeutic horseback riding sounds very medical, but it actually is the least oriented toward treatment of the horse related therapies.  Therapeutic horseback riding is recreational riding lessons adapted to people with special needs.  The focus of these lessons is on teaching patients how to manage and ride a horse, not on managing symptoms of ADHD.  Typically this type of therapy is not reimbursed by insurance.

Therapeutic riding has not been rigorously studied in ADHD.  A small pilot study showed that on average, the 5 studied children showed improvement in quality of life and motor skills after lessons.

Hippotherapy.  This type of therapy is basically horse-enhanced occupational or physical therapy.  The horse’s movements are used to help the patient to learn balance, stability, and a variety of other skills.  This therapy is lead by a certified OT, PT, or speech language pathologist and is typically one on one just like traditional OT, PT, or speech therapy.  Some insurances will cover for this type of therapy if there is a medical need.

So far there has been only one small study of hippotherapy in children with ADHD.   While there was some hint at an effect, none of the differences observed between children who received hippotherapy versus the control group were significant.  Hippotherapy has been shown to be effective in children with neuromuscular diseases such as cerebral palsy, so it’s possible that a child with ADHD and severe dyspraxia might still benefit.   But so far, research does not support this approach to treating ADHD.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.  This therapy is horse-enhanced psychological therapy/mental health counseling.  The therapist may work directly with the horse or may have a partner who works with the horse.  The therapist uses horse riding, horse grooming, and horse care as ways to help understand and counsel the patient.  Clinical studies have been small with tantalizing results.  An intriguing example includes one open labeled study which demonstrated improved symptoms and EEG readings after EAP.  However, EAP has not be studied carefully enough to prove that it is any better than no therapy at all, according to one review article.

The bottom line is…No one really knows

The main issues in using horseback riding to treat ADHD are that it is very expensive and it does take time.  Because horseback riding isn’t as immediately as effective as medication, most treating professionals do not recommend equine therapy of any kind as solo treatment.  However, whether it is useful in addition to standard treatment is still up for debate. 

Some people with ADHD will still  find horseback riding an enjoyable and relaxing hobby, or an engrossing sport.  If your child is interested in riding and you have the means to support them, then by all means, go ahead and give it a try. Horses are amazing animals!   However, what you should not do is expect horseback riding to be any more therapeutic than any other sport or hobby.

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