Freedom Horse Inquiries - 908.852.4201

Hippotherapy

Freedom Horse is happy to offer the service of Hippotherapy. This is where the horse is used as a treatment tool for physical, occupational and speech therapy.

KidTherapy has established a partnership with Freedom Horse in order to provide the additional service of Hippotherapy for their clients. They are a pediatric based private practice that offers Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy services. They work with children of varied ages and diagnoses. For more information please view their website by clicking on KidTherapy.

KidTherapy sessions are offered on Monday's and Saturday's

If you are a current client of KidTherapy please contact them for Pricing and scheduling.

http://www.kidtherapynj.com/

KidTherapy - 908-879-7067

Interested parties not a client of KidTherapy, interested in Hippotherapy, can contact Freedom Horse at 908.852.4201 or by email at freedomhorseinc@aol.com For scheduling and information.

Hippotherapy As A Treatment Tool (from the American Hippotherapy Association Website)

Hippotherapy is a physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy treatment tool that utilizes equine movement as part of an integrated intervention program to achieve functional outcomes.

Equine movement provides multidimensional movement, which is variable, rhythmic and repetitive. The horse provides a dynamic base of support, making it an excellent tool for increasing trunk strength and control, balance, building overall postural strength and endurance, addressing weight bearing, and. motor planning. Equine movement offers well-modulated sensory input to vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile and visual channels. During gait transitions, the patient must perform subtle adjustments in the trunk to maintain a stable position. When a patient is sitting forward astride the horse, the horse's walking gait imparts movement responses remarkably similar to normal human gait. The effects of equine movement on postural control, sensory systems, and motor planning can be used to facilitate coordination and timing, grading of responses, respiratory control, sensory integration skills and attentional skills. Equine movement can be used to facilitate the neurophysiologic systems that support all of our functional daily living skills.

Physical Therapists: The physical therapist can overlay a variety of motor tasks on the horse's movement to address the motor needs of each patient and to promote functional outcomes in skill areas related to gross motor ability such as sitting, standing, and walking.

Occupational Therapists: The occupational therapist is able to combine the effects of the equine movement with other standard intervention strategies for working on fine motor control, sensory integration, feeding skills, attentional skills, and functional daily living skills in a progressively challenging manner.

Speech-Language Pathologists: The speech-language pathologist is able to use equine movement to facilitate the physiologic systems that support speech and language. When combined with other standard speech-language intervention strategies, the speech-language pathologist is able generate effective remediation of communication disorders and promote functional communication outcomes.

Population - children and adults with mild to
severe neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction

Who Can Benefit from Hippotherapy?

Medical Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder
Cerebral Palsy
Developmental Delay
Genetic Syndromes
Learning Disabilities
Sensory Integration Disorders
Speech-Language Disorders
Traumatic Brain Injury/Stroke

Impairments

Abnormal muscle tone
Impaired balance responses
Impaired coordination
Impaired communication
Impaired sensorimotor function
Postural asymmetry
Poor postural control
Decreased mobility
Limbic system dysfunction related to
arousal and attentional skills

Our Therapists

Sara Gruenwald Goodstone
Doctor of Physical Therapy

Sara received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Columbia University in 2003. She has worked for the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation treating adolescents and adults with traumatic brain injuries, strokes and MS.

She is an AHA Level II therapist with more than 15 years of experience with horses.

Sara enjoys spending time with her horse Sonny as much a possible.

Cindy LaBar
Physical Therapist

Cindy earned her Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Columbia University in 2003. She also has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science from Syracuse University. She has been working at The Matheny Medical & Educational Center as the Director of Physical Therapy and as a staff physical therapist for the past 6 years. Cindy grew up in Long Valley and is now enjoying raising her two children here. Cindy has seen how effective Hippotherapy can be for the many children she has worked with, including her own daughter, Hannah, who has special needs.

Cindy is an AHA Level 1 therapist.