Up Until Now.

I started working on my Personal Project Essay on October 28th 2009.

My topic is to explore Health & Social Education through investigating how therapeutic horseback riding can benefit disabled children and adults. My supervisor is Mr. Geraets.

This is what I have written out/ Brainstormed so far;


What do I know already?

-Therapeutic riding is used all over the world
-Hippotherapy was developed in Germany & Switzerland
-Therapeutic riding helps kids & adults with mental, physical and emotional disabilities
-Special horses are selected for their temperament and personality
-Warm-bloods are normally better for the therapeutic role
-The gait of a horse is similar to the motion of walking
-Hippotherapy focuses on teaching children with primarily autism how to establish relationships & communicate in a respectful way. ie. keeping comfortable distance & giving the horse his space


My Plan.

-Get in touch with a therapeutic riding center
-Find out about volunteering opportunities
-Look for books in the library about my topic
-Goal to start writing the rough essay by November 12th 2009
-Make a mini-product (Scrap book)


Brainstorm!

-Search the different methods of using the horse (E.A.T)
-History of Hippotherapy & Therapeutic riding etc....
-Paralympic Team stories
-List of International Therapeutic Associations (North American...)
-Stories in the Ultimate Horse Lover & Chicken Soup Books
-Volunteer at a Center to gain experiences and knowledge.


Goals for my Assignment.

-Finish all research by November 10th 2009
-Start the essay by November 12th 2009
-Meet with my supervisor at least once a month
-Have everything handed in by January 20th 2010
-Final mark of 7, or higher
-Learn about Hippotherapy & how it works
-Gain many experiences through volunteering


Keywords and Critical Questions.

-Hippotherapy
-Physiotherapy
-Disabilities
-Therapy
-Horses
-Equine Assisted Therapy (E.A.T.)

-Where were horses first used as tools for physio?
-Who first came up with the idea?
-What makes this kind of therapy so great?
-When was this therapy developed?
-How, on a physical, emotional and mental level does this kind of therapy help the patient?