History of Therapeutic Horseback Riding

Therapeutic horseback riding has been around for a long time. It has been reported that therapeutic riding was used by the Greeks to raise the spirits of incurably ill people. In 17th century literature, there are references to horseback riding being prescribed for people with low morale, neurological disorders, and gout. In 1670 an English doctor, Lord Thomas Sydenham, even wrote “There is no better treatment for the body and soul than many hours each week in the saddle, riding the horse.” In 1875, French physician Cassaign studied the value of horseback riding as therapy and concluded that it helped treat certain kinds of neurological disorders and resulted in psychological improvements. During World War I, England offered riding therapy for wounded soldiers at Oxford Hospital. By the 1950s, British therapists were considering using horseback riding as a therapy for all types of handicaps. Therapeutic riding was formally introduced on the world stage and the benefits it offered were showcased in 1952, when Mme Liz Hartel of Denmark entered the Olympic Games and won a silver medal in dressage. She had been stricken with polio and had used a wheelchair since 1943. This episode highlighted the possibilities that therapeutic horseback riding offered to disabled individuals and the world took notice. In 1969, England formed the British Riding for the Disabled Association while Canada and the United States formed the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. Today, therapeutic horseback riding is practiced worldwide.