What kind of horse is used for horse therapy?
For example, not every dog can become a seeing eye dog, so not every horse can become a therapy horse.
The desired qualities of a horse vary depending on the discipline.
For example, a showjumper is brave, forward moving and will have exceptional ability and scope over fences while an endurance horse will have the stamina to run for long distances.
Moreover, racehorses are required to run faster than the other horses in the field.
For horse therapy, the most suitable horses are those which exhibit qualities of obedience, the ability to build trust with people, a calm temperament and affectionate nature.
Fundamentally, horse therapy is performed at a slow walk to comfort the mind and soul.
Running and jumping are not necessary, so a therapy horse is not selected based on their physical ability, but rather the most important is their temperament.
A therapy horse has a gentle and friendly personality, bombproof nature, doesn’t shy and of course does not bite or kick people.
It is also important that therapy horses do not fall sick easily.
There are also many situations where children do horse therapy, so a pony or small sized horse is often used.
Horse therapy is designed to provide solace for the soul, so putting a child on a large thoroughbred is a disregard for common sense, as they may be terrified by the height.
So, a smaller horse will provide a sense of security for children and in addition to their kind nature makes them ideal as a therapy horse.
