Hippotherapy, a Greek term, literally translates as “treatment with the help of a horse” and is the basis for therapeutic horseback riding.  Because a horse has a natural, rhythmic progressive gait, a swinging motion which then transfers from horse to rider, horse-back riding provides a combination of sensory and neurological input that can be used to treat a broad range of disabilities, including autism, brain trauma, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness and developmental delay. Therapeutic riding students learn balance and coordination through a physical activity that supports the whole body.  As Rebecca Davenport of EquiTherapy in Morton Grove, IL puts it, “It’s a self-esteem booster too!  When someone’s sitting in a wheelchair, everyone’s looking down at them.  Put them on a horse and everyone’s looking up.”  Although therapeutic riding is not a new concept (it was used by European nurses during WWI to help injured soldiers), it came to light when a rider with polio won an Olympic medal in dressage riding in the 1950’s.  NARHA, based in Denver, CO, now has over 600 registered operating facilities. The success stories of students who have participated in therapeutic riding programs are countless, including physical triumph over disabling disease/injury, or mental triumph over low self-esteem and social isolation.