Influence of Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Motor Proficiency in Youth with Sensory Processing Dysfunction

Abstract

Individuals with sensory-integration delays may have some deficit in motor planning, or difficulty interacting with and influencing their surroundings. The demonstration of age-appropriate motor skills is therefore a primary outcome measure in this population. Therapeutic horseback riding may provide the necessary physical adaptations to improve motor skill proficiency. PURPOSE: To characterize motor skill proficiency following 8 weeks of therapeutic horseback riding with sensory integration therapy in children with sensory processing dysfunction. METHODS: Twenty-seven children, ages 5 to 18 years, were recruited. All participants completed the same 32-week protocol that was separated into 4, 8-week blocks: a) a control period (no riding); b) a riding only period; c) a washout period (no riding); d) riding with additional sensory integration therapy (combination). Before and after each period, motor skills were assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test for Motor Proficiency (2ndedition). A one-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used to determine any differences between testing periods. A significance level of 0.05 was used. RESULTS: All subtest scores were statistically similar (p > 0.05), with the exception of manual dexterity, which was different between pre-control and post-washout (p = 0.018), post-control and post-washout (p = 0.024), and pre-control and post-combination (p = 0.037). Overall scores were different between pre-control and post-combination (p = 0.003) and post-control and post-combination (p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Therapeutic riding may have a latent effect of improving overall motor skills in children with sensory processing dysfunction.Table 1: Average and overall scores on the BOT-2 subtests at different time pointsValues are mean±s.d. Means with the same superscript are statistically similar (p > 0.05). BOT-2 = Bruininks-Oseretsky Test for Motor Proficiency (2nd edition); Max = maximum possible score.