The effect of therapeutic horseback riding on gross motor function and gait speed in children who are developmentally delayed.

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of a seven-week therapeutic horseback riding program and to determine if changes were retained after therapeutic riding was discontinued. A repeated-measures within-participants design was used to assess performance on the Gross Motor Function Measure and timed 10-meter walk in seven developmentally delayed children. A statistically significant improvement in gross motor function was found in post-intervention measures.