Abstract
In studies testing the effect of hippotherapy on the human body, no one has yet compared the involvement of the same specific muscles in exercises on a gymnastic (pommel) horse vs. a walking horse. To improve the correct riding seat and to compare the differences in electromyographic activity, we conducted an experimental study to measure the activity of selected muscles on a set of probands of both sexes during three exercises on a gymnastic horse vs. a walking horse. We measured the activity of eight selected muscles, expressed as the percentage value of the maximal voluntary contraction. Maximal voluntary contraction of each muscle was electromyographically measured using Janda’s strength muscle test. These values were used as a standard for values obtained from exercising on a gymnastic horse and a walking horse. The effect of the studied factors was tested by analysis of variance. The muscle activity was statistically significantly affected by the studied factors. It was higher when riding a living horse than a gymnastic horse and in females compared to males. Although the exercises on a gymnastic horse generated lower muscle activity than those on a walking horse, there was a variation among individual muscles that justified further study.
Highlights
Hippotherapy is making use of biomechanic similarities between horse and human gaits [1,2]
Muscle activity was statistically significantly affected by the factors studied (Hypothesis 1) in 9 cases out of 24 (= 3 exercises × 8 muscles)
In 4 measured cases (i.e., 17% of the total number), when the type of treatment was significant, the involvement was always higher during the exercise on horseback in a step than on a gymnastic horse
Summary
Hippotherapy is making use of biomechanic similarities between horse and human gaits [1,2]. Correct seating is an essential requirement for hippotherapeutic horseback riding; still, it can be adapted to the specific needs of each rider [1]. The rider’s seat on a walking horse is very similar to that on a standing horse. The rider should always form the imaginary straight line of the ear, shoulder, hip, and heel [3]. Two types of seats are distinguished on horses, i.e., working and light seats [4,5]. The rider must be stable in a light seat; their center of gravity is always above the horse, and adductors have to deliver enhanced performance [6]
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