Neuromuscular activation analysis of the trunk muscles during hippotherapy sessions.

Introduction: Hippotherapy allows the development of affective, sensory, motor, and cognitive areas, besides providing the practitioner with several movements and stimuli necessary for therapeutic progress. However, there is a limited amount of scientific evidence regarding the suitability of the mount material, mount type, and hippotherapy session duration, as well as regarding the activation of specific muscle groups during the practice and its applicability to activities of daily living.

Objective: This study aimed to study the neuromuscular activation behavior of the iliocostalis, longissimus, multifidus, and upper trapezius muscles of children during four hippotherapy session time points using a functional task.