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CompletedNCT05993598Updated Aug 15, 2023

The Effect of Hippotherapy Applied on Different Seating Surfaces in Children With Special Needs

An interventional study of hippotherapy in Special Needs Children, sponsored by Istanbul Medipol University Hospital. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to participants aged 3 Years to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-08-15.

Sponsored by Istanbul Medipol University Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 6 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Jan 2023, registered Jul 2023).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
30
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
3 Years to 18 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The effect of hippotherapy, which will be applied to children with special needs in a single session, on sitting balance and walking speed under the supervision of a physiotherapist was investigated. 30 randomly selected children with special needs between the ages of 3-18 who were referred to the Gebze Equestrian Training Center were included in the study. The children were randomly divided into 3 groups: 10 in the saddle, 10 naked (direct contact with the horse), and 10 in the hippotherapy group, in which a cloth of different texture was placed on the horse. Each group did a 30-minute hippotherapy session in the manege area. Before the application, the sitting balance of the children was evaluated by playing the Nintendo Wii Balance Platform and the Basic Balance Game. In addition, 10 m walking test was applied for walking speed. These assessments were repeated after the 30-minute session. It was checked whether the application had an effect on balance and walking speed. Comparisons between the groups were made and it was examined which application was more effective on balance and walking speed.

02

Conditions studied

  • Special Needs Children

Keywords

  • hippotherapy
  • sitting balance
  • child with special needs
  • walking speed
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Istanbul Medipol University Hospital is the lead sponsor of 350 studies on the registry; 58 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
3 Years to 18 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Having a child with special needs between the ages of 3-18,
  • Children with a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy (CP) have a level of 1 and 2 according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System,
  • Ability to understand simple commands,
  • Ability to sit unaided for at least 10 seconds,

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of clinical conditions that may pose an obstacle
  • Lack of cooperation
  • Presence in another study performed at the same time as the study
  • Lack of family approval.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
30 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Group 1 (Saddled)

    Each group did a 30-minute hippotherapy session in the manege area. Before the application, the sitting balance of the children was evaluated by playing the Nintendo Wii Balance Platform and the Basic Balance Game. In addition, 10 m walking test was applied for walking speed. These assessments were repeated after the 30-minute session.

    Other: hippotherapy

  • Experimental
    Group 2 (Saddleless, direct contact with horse)

    Each group did a 30-minute hippotherapy session in the manege area. Before the application, the sitting balance of the children was evaluated by playing the Nintendo Wii Balance Platform and the Basic Balance Game. In addition, 10 m walking test was applied for walking speed. These assessments were repeated after the 30-minute session.

    Other: hippotherapy

  • Experimental
    Group 3 (Different tissue to be put on the saddle)

    Bubbled nylon (pat-to-pat) was used as a different texture. Each group did a 30-minute hippotherapy session in the manege area. Before the application, the sitting balance of the children was evaluated by playing the Nintendo Wii Balance Platform and the Basic Balance Game. In addition, 10 m walking test was applied for walking speed. These assessments were repeated after the 30-minute session.

    Other: hippotherapy

Interventions

  • Otherhippotherapy

    Evaluation parameters were applied to 30 children with special needs at the beginning of the session. After the evaluation, each group was given a 30-minute hippotherapy session in the manege area. During the practice, the child simply sat on the horse. The horse was asked to maintain its balance by adapting to the oscillations it creates while walking on the sand. Immediately after the 30-minute application, the initial evaluations were made again. As a result, it was investigated whether hippotherapy applied on different sitting surfaces in children with special needs had an effect on sitting balance and walking speed.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. BeCure Balance Evaluation System

    BeCure Balance Assessment System protocol; It was planned to determine the amount of change in the center of gravity in the x and y axes and the position of the body center of gravity during balancing by sitting on the board for 30 seconds with eyes open, with images.

    Time frame: 11 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Ten(10) Meter Walking Test(sec)

    In this test, the person is asked to walk at their own normal pace in a pre-measured 10 meter area (if using walking aid, it will be done with it). The time starts when the person's foot is on the starting line and ends when they cross the finish line. Two measurements are made and the best value is recorded in meters per second (m/s).

    Time frame: 11 weeks

  2. Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS)

    It was used to evaluate the motor functions of participants with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. It is a standardized method that classifies motor function differences in sitting and walking at 5 levels. If we examine the 5 levels; Level I walks without restrictions; Level II walks with restrictions; Level III walks using hand-held mobility devices; Level IV, independent self-mobility is limited and may use a motorized mobility vehicle; Level V is transported in a manual wheelchair.

    Time frame: 11 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Gebze Municipality Equestrian Training Center
    Kocaeli, Gebze 41400, Turkey
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 15, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05993598
Lead sponsor
Istanbul Medipol University Hospital
Responsible party
Ebru Sever (PhD, PT, Istanbul Medipol University Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 15, 2023
Start date
Jan 17, 2023
Primary completion
Feb 17, 2023
Completion
May 10, 2023
Last update
Aug 15, 2023

Study contacts

Ebru SEVER, Lecturer
study director · Department of Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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