Horses instead of pills!

The sanatorium ‘Maliatko’ reached the Kioto Protocol and wants to create… an international ippotherapy center.

To participate in EU project, the members of which are Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, by presenting a cross-border project of ippotherapy center – such brave plans has a group of pulmonary specialists of sanatorium ‘Maliatko’ in the village of Onokivtsi, Uzhgorod district. More information about this said a Head Physician of the health resort for children – Halyna Moroz to ‘Castle’ newspaper.

– Halyna Ivanivna, the summer in the midst, ‘Maliatko’ twitters by dozens of children voices and there are a lot of those who wishing to improve their children’s health there…

– And this undoubtedly pleases. Every year we have nearly 1000 children who improve their health. Children aged from 3 to 11 years, most of whom – from socially disadvantaged groups. It’s no secret that among the Ukrainian kids the pulmonary disease is one of the most critical. Diagnostic and treatment base of sanatorium allows you to go through the full course of recovery and rehabilitation. We organize sanatorium camp during the summer period. Children rest in 4 changes up to 21 days.

– There are a lot of talks about the methods of treatment with the help of dolphins or horses. But implement such an idea into practice is really hard – and not only because of the financial side.

– There were stables on the territory of the sanatorium and we are planning to start the overhaul repair of business premises under the stable and arena. The territory allows us to realize this idea. And the next step is the purchase of equipments and training of experts. In addition, we are planning to create an information center for search of partners and exchange of experience and a sort of base for training of ippotherapy experts.

– What is the essence of treatment with the help of horses?

– The method of treatment by using horseback riding is known from ancient times, it was advised by Hippocrates. It was confirmed that therapeutic horseback riding provides a nice effect especially for patients with pathology of the musculoskeletal system, cerebral palsy, pulmonary, neurological and other diseases. The body temperature of the horse is higher than humans in few degrees. Ippotherapy is unique because some muscles’ tension and relaxation is simultaneous. All the main groups of muscles of the body work during the horse riding. This is done on the reflex level because a child-rider by moving together with horse, instinctively seeks to keep balance in order not to fall down thus encouraging the active work of both healthy and affected muscles. Of course, everything will be held under the supervision of physicians, psychologists and educators. I should add that we plan to make a contribution to the study of horses the impact on adaptation, rehabilitation of children, change their state of physical and psychological health.