Translator: Jennifer Woo Reviewer: David DeRuwe
Hi. My name is Ricardo Fraia, and I'm a fifth grader,
and today I'm here to talk to you about hippotherapy.
The trot that treats.
Did you know that the movement of the horse on four legs
is equal to the movement of the human being on two legs?
Here we have an image that illustrates this well.
As you can see, the human's shoulder is aligned
with the horse's shoulder, and with the pelvis, it's the same
because when the horse takes a step and there is a person on top of it,
this step that the horse takes
helps stimulate your leg muscles and makes you walk.
What is hippotherapy?
Hippotherapy is a sports treatment which involves horses
that heals people who have physical and mental disabilities.
Here we have an interview with Dr. Bruno, a physiotherapist.
(Video) Dr. Bruno: Patients who don't walk or who sit with difficulty,
when they sit on top of a horse,
it improves the balance of this child or person.
And for those kids that can't pay attention, have attention deficit too,
being on top of a horse
helps a lot in concentration and attention deficit also.
Ricardo: Thank you. Dr. Bruno: You're welcome.
(Video ends)
What is hippotherapy used for?
Hippotherapy serves to treat people with autism, Down syndrome,
and cerebrovascular accident, better known as stroke.
Now we're going to have an interview with Mr. Pedro, a horse guide.
(Video) Ricardo: Is it a hard job for you?
Mr. Pedro: No. I think it's a service that anyone can do,
but you have to pay a lot of attention, so that nothing goes wrong, right?
Because - let's suppose the horse reacts.
You have to be prepared for that, understand?
RF: Thank you. Mr. P: You're welcome.
(End of video)
What are the benefits of hippotherapy?
The benefits include: it stretches and strengthens the muscles,
improves trust between you and the animal,
and it develops concentration - among other things.
Now let's do an interview with Mr. André Chaves, Rafa's father.
(Video) RF: Why does your son come to hippotherapy?
Mr. André Chaves: Rafa, my son, is on the autism spectrum.
And for him this contact with animals is super important -
we even have two dogs.
And for him, hippotherapy is a way of interacting with an animal,
and obviously, learning to master some things that are challenges for him.
RF: What benefits do you see in your son that he didn't have before?
AC: Rafa was terrified of animals in general,
but he was especially afraid of dogs and horses.
When Rafa arrived here, obviously he couldn't do what he did today.
Now he even rides in the saddle.
When he got here, he was riding on a blanket, later you can see,
there's a blanket for you to take a photo, it's very cool.
It's a blanket where the children sit.
They sit on their sides first; then they sit with their legs.
Then they get a saddle.
Obviously, Rafa is already achieving this kind of progress.
And it's super important to him for reasons of motor coordination,
having a relationship with the animal,
and commands, as I mentioned.
RF: Thank you. AC: You're welcome.
(End of video)
Now we're going to see Rafa, the child doing hippotherapy.
As you can see, he must always be accompanied
by a psychologist and a physical therapist,
and of course, the horse guide.
The material used in hippotherapy is a blanket you put on the horse,
a saddle pad that goes on top of the blanket, and a saddle.
And of course, most important, the horse.
Now the conclusion of this talk I'm giving here for you.
ANVISA, a Brazilian health regulatory agency,
recognized hippotherapy only two years ago,
although it has been around since the war epoch
because soldiers who had lost their legs and arms
were doing this treatment.
This is a successful treatment, and public organizations don't have it.
It is private, and some places have it, but the waiting line is months and years.
You do the treatment for a certain time.
We must charge the government for this treatment
for needy children who are unable to pay.
Thank you.
(Applause)