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- ORIGINS OF THERAPEUTIC RIDING -
We can trace the relationship between horses and
physical therapy back to the ancient Greek, Aescalpius, the first
physician and teacher of medicine. However, in modern times we look
to the accomplishments of Madame Liz Hartel of Denmark, who was
stricken with polio and rehabilitated herself from a wheelchair to
horseback, winning the Silver Medal for Grand Prix Dressage at the
Helsinki Olympics in 1952. The next major development in therapeutic
riding came in 1958 in England, when the first ever purposely-built
indoor arena for the disabled was established.
Therapeutic riding came to the North American Continent in the
1960’s in Canada and later found its way to the first U.S. program
in Michigan in the mid 1960’s. This later program laid the
groundwork for what we now call the North American Riding for the
Handicapped Association or NARHA.
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