Horse riding may help stroke survivors recover

Horse riding could help people recover after suffering a stroke, researchers have found.

Experts discovered patients benefited from horse riding lessons even five years after experiencing a life-changing attack.

Patients who had the lessons twice a week for 12 weeks saw improvements in balance, walking gait, grip strength and cognition.

Stroke victims saw their average scores on these attributes increase by 10 per cent over the three-month course - in which time a group of patients not involved in the classes saw their scores fall by an average 0.5 per cent.

Crucially, some 56 per cent of patients who underwent the lessons saw benefits that were sustained for at least six months after the course had ended, the scientists found.

How does it work? 

The researchers think horse riding is so successful because the rocking of the horse’s back create a sensory experience that closely resembles normal human gait - reminding them of the sensation of walking and balancing.

The research, by experts in Sweden and Australia, also found a form of therapy in which patients beat their hands and feet to music was beneficial, although only to about half the degree of the horse-riding lessons.

People who took part in the rhythm-and-music classes improved by 5 per cent, and 43 per cent saw the benefits last six months.

Study leader Professor Michael Nilsson of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said: ‘Significant improvements are still possible, even years after a stroke, using motivating, comprehensive therapies provided in stimulating physical and social surroundings to increase brain activity and recovery.’

How was the study carried out? 

The team studied 123 Swedish men and women, aged 50 to 75, who had suffered strokes between 10 months and five years earlier.

Survivors were randomly assigned to the rhythm-and-music therapy, horse-riding group or normal care.

An estimated 150,000 people have a stroke each year in Britain.

A quarter die within a year, and of the survivors, half are left with long-lasting disability, which can include paralysis, speech problems and personality changes.

The extent to which people recover - and their chance of long-term survival - is hugely dependent on having good care, rehabilitation and support in the aftermath of a stroke.

Yet four in ten leave hospital without any sort of care plan - and more than a third do not receive the six-month check-up recommended in national guidelines.

Revolutionise stroke care 

Getting access to such a simple therapy as horse riding or music lessons - which are both available cheaply at centres across the country - could revolutionise the way stroke care is delivered.

Emily McGrath, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off, causing your brain cells to become damaged or die.

‘Suffering a stroke affects different people in different ways, but can leave people with life-changing disabilities.

‘This study suggests that people with persistent disabilities after suffering a stroke, such as cognitive issues or balance, should be encouraged to participate in long-term rehab programmes which target a range of functions.

‘This is because interestingly, stroke patients’ perception of their own recovery improved.

‘However, more research is needed to further assess the effectiveness of rehab therapies like this.’

Interesting findings 

Dr Shamim Quadir, research communications manager at the Stroke Association, added: ‘This is a small, but interesting study.

‘It suggests therapy with horse riding, or rhythmic walking can improve patients’ perception of their recovery even years after their stroke.

‘Both types of therapy involve lots of different types of stimulation, for example, to their vision, balance and posture, all acting at the same time.

‘So it would be good to see larger studies which look into how these different stimuli might work together or alone to benefit people recovering from a stroke.’

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