Our pupil Norbert and hippotherapy – a letter from Mum

Many children benefit from hippotherapy, but we received an e-mail from the mum of one of our pupils.
It is a big pleasure for us when we hear that Your help is worth so much, therefore we share the letter.

“Hello, thank you very much for helping finance Norbert’s hippotherapy.
Norbert has occasionally benefitted from hippotherapy since he was a child, but since August last year he has benefitted from this form of therapy systematically. He likes animals very much – he adores dogs. He was a bit afraid of horses at the beginning, but it was increasingly better over time. Norbert has a spastic form of cerebral palsy and problems with his hips – a horse’s walk is similar to a human’s – therefore allowing the child to feel correct walking reflexes – it is the most basic thing, besides that horse riding requires maintaining balance and a straight posture of the body axis – Norbert needs to be constantly reminded to keep his back straight, he also needs to hold on with his hands which is a challenge in case of his right hand and is not always successful. During a walk Norbert turns in every direction which is difficult while the horse is moving. Norbert likes these classes very much. Hippotherapy has a positive influence on Norbert – a different kind of exercises motivates him to maintain a correct body posture, the horse’s warmth relaxes leg muscles and improves his sense of balance. Hippotherapy also positively influenced his mental and emotional state. He has become quieter and calmer, he is angry less often (Norbert often gets angry, unfortunately his speech is not progressing, often we cannot understand each other despite using gestures – then he becomes very frustrated). We will continue hippotherapy, at the same time not neglecting the necessary traditional exercises, running track exercises as well as in the suit. At the moment, Norbert is on a trip – I am sending you pictures from hippotherapy classes on one of colder days. With best regards – Agnieszka Łysiak“