Riding therapy

From time past a horse was an indispensable helpmate and friend. A horse was required everywhere – in battles and on a peaceable plouthland, during hunting and journeys. People put panoply on it, yoked to the royal carriage and shabby peasant droshky. Legendary horse Bucefphalus was buried with all royal honors. The tyrant-emperor Caligula even made his pet a member of Rome senate. A horse was a bread-winner for peasants and an object of pride for the jet-set.

First of all intercourse with a horse is associated with riding for the most people (especially for townsmen). People go in for riding above five centuries. Depictions of riders were discovered on the Persian etchings dated about 3000 b.c. Fascination and beneficial effect of riding were conveyed in the works of many prominent people. So French philosopher Michel de Monte asserted in his priceless work “Experiments”: “I'm relunct to get down from a horse if I had already mounted it. As whether I'm healthy or sick I feel myself best of all astride.

These thoughts are proved by figures. A man needs physical load that cause energy consumption (not less than 400-600 kcalories daily) in result. Riding can come in handy. Riding at a slow pace is equal to a walk at 4-5 km/h speed (energy consumption of a rider is 3,5-4 kcal/min, 200-240 kcal/h); riding at a trot is equal to a walk at 5-6 km/h speed (10, 5-12 kcal/min, 300-390 kcal/h);

riding at gallop is equal to a run at 8-8,5 km/h (10,5-12 kcal/m, 550-650 kcal/h).

Riding develops a good feeling of balance and perfects coordination of movements. There are attempts to prove the fact that riders don't suffer from pulmonary tuberculosis because a microclimate of a stable, mobile work with horses and riding conduce to natural ventilation of lungs. Besides a favorable impact of riding on locomotor and vestibular apparatus it conduces to strengthening of a neuropsychic state, reduce risk of getting hypertension and myocardial infarction.

A good way to get rid of many diseases is riding therapy or hippotherapy (from Greek – hippos (horse)). Hippotherapy improves bearing of a rider, strengthens muscles of the back, straightens vertebral column and, as a result, it heals different kinds of spinal curvature. Medical riding relieves state of health of that people who suffer from the consequences of cerebral palsy. “I think that any cars won't replace horses as well as any technics won't replace animate nature. People'll always need live beauty.” These words belong to Australian writer Alan Marshal. Horses became a source of true pleasure and effective vehicle for him after transmitted in his childhood poliomyelitis. The writer conveyed his memories about this tragedy and great gratitude to horses in his heartfelt story “I can jump through puddles”.

Books about horses have always great success among readers; these noble creatures look gorgeous on the television and cinema screens but any printed word, any film will replace intercourse with a live horse. Rarely after having felt the atmosphere of a stable a man doesn't long to return to a horse. And almost every child asks at least once his parents to ride on a horse especially as riding is various and fascinating with its national games and competitions, performances in the circuses, journeys and at last work in different spheres of farming.