Introduction: Occupational, physical, and speech therapists use hippotherapy—equine movement as a treatment tool—to improve functional outcomes for children with disabilities. While hippotherapy may enhance independence and functional skill for activities of daily living, researchers have conducted little investigation into these outcomes. The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory–Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) is a standardized, parent-reported assessment that measures activity and participation across four domains: mobility (M), daily activities (DA), social/cognitive function (SC), and responsibility (R). This study examines how hippotherapy impacts these functional domains and how the PEDI-CAT can enhance occupational therapy assessments.
Objective: This study evaluated changes in activity and participation outcomes for children receiving occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), or speech therapy (ST) with hippotherapy.
Methods: 196 participants (Mage = 6.1 years) participated in weekly 45-minute hippotherapy sessions at 5 clinics across the USA. They received PT (n = 70), OT (n = 96), or ST (n = 30). Parents completed the PEDI-CAT at the start of treatment (T1) and again six months later (T2). Researchers used a linear mixed-effects model to analyze score changes across disciplines.
Results: Participants significantly improved in all 4 domains. Although participants in the PT group had the lowest initial scores, they saw similar significant improvements in the 4 domains as the OT and ST groups. The OT group experienced the largest improvements in the DA domain.
Conclusion: Hippotherapy enhanced functional outcomes in OT by improving daily activity participation. The PEDI-CAT is useful for OT assessment and treatment planning. Further research can explore long-term benefits and refine assessment strategies for occupational therapists.