For centuries the value of horses was known to agricultural and working communities, but it was only very recently in history that people began to understand the value of a horse to the disabled and the mentally handicapped. Hippotherapy, as defined by Barbara Smith, is “the use of the horse as a medical treatment strategy and not as a method of teaching horsemanship.” Dozens of studies demonstrate the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of this specialized therapy for certain disorders. The horse provides a springboard to the well-being of people with debilitating illnesses who would otherwise not be able to achieve optimal well-being through conventional therapies. Dating back to ancient Greece, hippotherapy has been used as an emotional, physical and mental therapy for soldiers and people with disabilities. , and the sick to stimulate muscles and stimulate healthy hormones. Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing (Leadbetter), believed that horses could heal humans; and Hippocrates believed that horseback riding was beneficial for the lungs and muscles (“A Very Brief History of Therapeutic Horseback Riding and Hippotherapy”). A student of Socrates, Xenophon, used horses to heal soldiers; In De Re Equestri, he explained the benefits of horseback riding, as well as other formally written information about purchasing and training a horse ("Xenophon"). The ancient Greeks in 400 BCE often prescribed therapeutic horseback riding, independent exercises similar to hippotherapy, to improve mental and physical well-being (Snider). In post-World War II Europe, equine therapy was often used to treat veterans' mental, physical, and emotional problems. A few years after the end of World War II, a phenomenal performance at the Olympics proved that horses were of extreme value to people with disabilities. The 1952 Olympics in Helsinki was a milestone...... middle of paper ...... , due to the constant movement, Aetna states it can reduce spasticity and improve range of motion upper limbs. Most horses spend 2 to 3 years training to become a therapy horse because they cannot compromise the rider's health by misbehaving or scaring. Essentially, the goal of a therapeutic horse trainer is to “protect” the horse from bombs. A therapy session can cost over $150 and is used as a weekly supplement for occupational and physical therapy. Compared to many other therapies in coverage, hippotherapy provides an exponential increase in the client's abilities. The factor of the horse's rhythmic gait can most of the time help the rider achieve his goals and be able to carry out his daily activities. Bettie B. Borton, AUD states that it is “worth considering as an alternative framework for providing speech-language remediation services.” Thus, hippotherapy