English article: Hippotherapy and Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Goal of this pilot study was to monitor the effects of Hippotherapy on motor skills and general well-being of patients with Parkinson’s disease, as well as to investigate whether improvements in speech parameters can be found. Changes were documented with a variety of scales and scores (e. g. motor skills: Tinetti test; faculty of speech: analysis of different voice parameters; cognition and quality of life: Parkinson scales). This pilot study suggests that Hippotherapy leads to improved motor skills and quality of life, but a significant change in speech parameters could not be found.