Introduction: Hippotherapy is a form of therapy that uses horses and equine-assisted aids to help children with cerebral palsy (CP) develop better physical, emotional, and neurological performance. It is based on the concept that the child's gait on a horse, pace, and repetitive movements influence sensory and motor development. Riding triggers a series of complex physical and mental responses, such as physical adjustments to maintain position on the horse and an emotional connection to the horse. Purpose: The purpose of this work is to determine how hippotherapy affects children with CP and in what areas progress is made. Methods: In this work we used the literature review method. For the search, we used articles published between 2015 and 2022. The following databases were included in the review: CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science. The search was performed using different keywords in English. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 articles were included in the analysis. Results: A review of the literature showed that hippotherapy helps the child progress in several areas, such as improvement of balance, upright posture, greater social engagement, and a better quality of life for children and caregivers. Discussion and Conclusion: Through hippotherapy, children are more confident, motivated, and willing to participate in various daily activities. These positive effects confirm the feasibility of using hippotherapy for therapeutic purposes in children with CP. In the future, further empirical research should be conducted on the use of hippotherapy in the context of occupational therapy, as current research focuses only on the general use of hippotherapy.
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