Exam Preview

Hippotherapy: A Tool To Achieve Occupational Therapy Treatment Goals

---

1.  Which of the following best describes hippotherapy? Certified instructors teach individuals with disabilities riding skills and functional tasks such as brushing the horse Hippotherapy promote social and emotional health because of the special bond between rider and horse Hippotherapy is a medical treatment strategy that utilizes the horse's movement to promote neurophysiologic change and functional outcomes Hippotherapy was created thousands of years ago in Greece when doctors recognized the healing power of horses

2.  An occupational therapist might work with a client during hippotherapy to _______________. Decrease sensory defensiveness Improve eye-hand coordination Promote visual attention to the environment All of the above

3.  Which of the following qualities are extremely important in choosing a horse to train for hippotherapy work? Calm temperament and even gait The horse's girth and height size The horse's ability to carry the child and therapist at the same time The horse's speed and agility

4.  Which of the following describes a way to grade vestibular sensory input during hippotherapy? Increasing the horse's gait from a walk to a trot Assist the child to perform sit ups while the horse is stationary and then while walking Walk the horse on straight lines, curves and then in circles All of the above

5.  Three-year-old Peter has high muscle tone and poor trunk control. What intervention would be most appropriate for him? Riding a horse with a wide girth so that his legs are better supported when straddling Begin the session with Peter facing sideways while walking slowly on flat terrain Show Peter how to extend his arms like an "airplane" to help balance Providing a toy to hold that plays soothing music

6.  Which of the following clients might especially benefit from learning vaulting moves? A 4-year-old girl with Down Syndrome with poor bilateral coordination and postural control A 2-year-old boy with autism who avoids eye contact and touching objects A 7-year-old deaf and blind student A nonverbal adult with cerebral palsy

7.  Why does riding a horse help develop or improve motor skills? Horses are empathic and understand a child's fears Horses are large, making balance and postural control easier Riders are at the same height as others rather than looking upward from a wheelchair The rider has over 3,000 opportunities to accommodate his or her pelvis during a 30 minutes therapy session

8.  Eddy avoids crossing midline. His therapist might encourage him to engage in which of the following activities to promote crossing midline? Touching the horse's left shoulder with his right hand Alternating hands while pulling clothespins off the horse's mane Turning 360 degrees to face sideways, backwards, sideways and then forwards again All of the above

9.  Five-year-old Rose has gravitational insecurity and is afraid of possible wild animals on the farm. Her therapist might do which of the following during the client's first session? Have Rose ride the horse up and down hills so that she can see that there are no wild animals at the farm First walk with Rose and her mother around the farm to see where the horses play and see other children riding horses Have Rose ride bareback because she loves soft objects, fur and warmth The therapist should ride the horse with Rose the first time

10.  Which of the following strategies might help a child with hemiplegia? Adapt toys so that they can be stabilized with the affected hand Avoid walking on hills or in circles Be sure to sing so that the child is relaxed Have the child jump off the horse to dismount