The article highlights the therapeutic benefits of hippotherapy, a form of therapy that uses horseback riding to aid individuals with disabilities. Four-year-old Tucker Backhus, who has agenesis of the corpus callosum, participates in sessions at Prairie Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center in Kansas, where riding helps improve his balance, coordination, speech, and nervous system regulation. The rhythmic motion of the horse simulates walking, benefiting those with physical and neurological challenges, while activities during rides promote motor skills and calmness that extend beyond the barn.

In addition to licensed hippotherapy programs, other therapeutic riding centers like New Heights Therapeutic Riding in Salina, Kansas, offer non-licensed but impactful horse riding experiences for children and adults with disabilities or emotional needs. Owner Kelley Hulteen emphasizes the joy and connection families find through these sessions, which also include devotional reflections on the horses’ abilities. Hulteen is expanding services to include first responders coping with PTSD, recognizing the emotional healing horses can provide, as exemplified by National Guard member Devon Young, who credits horseback riding with helping him process his combat experiences.