A powerful intervention: Woman offering hippotherapy among more traditional occupational therapy tools in new business – Albert Lea Tribune

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Breckyn Heinemann smiles while on a horse with Christine Seeger of Kinect Therapy and Wellness. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

During Seeger’s sessions, there will always be a horse lead and Seeger as the therapist. In some cases, there is potentially also a side walker on the other side of the horse. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Each child wears a belt that Seeger can utilize to hold onto. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

In addition to riding, part of the session includes grooming the horse. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

All of the sessions are on the Evolution Equine farm of Kara Heinemann in rural Glenville. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Christine Seeger started Kinect Therapy and Wellness, which features occupational therapy services, including hippotherapy. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Four years ago, Christine Seeger of Albert Lea fell in love with horses.

At that time, she and her daughters started taking riding lessons, and they started familiarizing themselves more with the animals.

Fast forward four years, and Seeger, an occupational therapist of 16 years, has now started her own occupational therapy business that can utilize traditional treatment tools as well equine movement as a tool to support motor skills, sensory processing and emotional regulation in her clients.

This tool, called hippotherapy — “hippo” is the Greek word for “horse” — has been well supported by professional organizations dating back to the 1980s and is something that has always interested her, Seeger said. It is used not only by occupational therapists, but also by physical therapists and speech-language therapy professionals.

Seeger moved to Albert Lea from Colorado four years ago after her husband had the opportunity to work remotely and they wanted to be closer to family.

She has worked her professional career in traditional OT settings and for her full-time job currently works at two of the elementary schools in the Austin school district as an occupational therapist with special education students. While she plans to continue that work, her new business, Kinect Therapy and Wellness, offers mobile occupational therapy services, and specializes in sensory integration, neurological rehab and functional skills.

She said the timing felt right to explore hippotherapy, and she took a three-day hands-on course in Illinois through the American Hippotherapy Association. Through that course, she said, she learned all about horses, therapy, safety and other topics.

“It was a really great opportunity,” she said. “I loved it.”

Seeger said hippotherapy is a well researched area, which is one of the main reasons she wanted to get into it. It has strong evidence of success in patients — specifically children with autism, developmental disabilities, Down syndrome and other disabilities.

From a neurological perspective, repetition, timing and consistency are key in occupational therapy, and she said being on a horse can provide all of these elements.

“It’s a very powerful intervention,” she said.

It also provides large input to the vestibular system — which is the sensory system in the inner ear responsible for maintaining balance, spatial orientation and coordinating head and eye movements — and the proprioceptive system — which is the body’s awareness to sense its position and movement in space.

Before she begins with a patient, Seeger said she needs a physician’s order for treatment.

The first session includes an OT evaluation, usually in the client’s home, and she goes over client history and medical history and the reason for seeking out occupational therapy. From there, she develops a treatment plan with client-centered goals, involving parents and families.

Though she particularly enjoys working with children with disabilities, she is not limiting herself to pediatrics. She noted individuals with spina bifida, spinal fractures, open wounds, high behaviors or any kind of cervical instability would probably not be a good fit for hippotherapy, but she noted she also provides other occupational therapy services.

Once the initial evaluation is complete, a typical session involving hipppotherapy would involve meeting at the Evolution Equine farm of Kara Heinemann in rural Glenville, who she is partnering with for use of the horses.

At the beginning, she and the client would start with some pre-tests of the skill they are working on. Then they would begin with tasks such as grooming the horse before actually getting out and doing some riding.

While on the horse, she said, the children do not use the reigns — the horse is always led by a horse leader, the therapist and potentially another side walker. The therapist cues the horse leader on what actions to take.

As a therapist, she continues to assess the client’s response both verbally and nonverbally while on the horse, making manual adjustments while also potentially providing visual or manual cueing.

In the end, there are some cool-down exercises that may also involve some strengthening, and then they conduct post tests to see what gains are made.

She said an individual should be able to see gains from even a single session.

“There’s really no one in this area who does this,” she said. “I’m really excited.”

She is also happy to partner with Heineman, who offers therapeutic riding.

To set up an evaluation or to speak with Seeger, she can be reached at 720-346-5288 or contact@kinecttherapyandwellness.com.

Her business provides services within a 15-mile radius from Albert Lea. Currently, she is doing cash-pay only and charges $200 for the first session evaluation and then 60-minute followup visits for $160, which she said are fairly standard prices for the market. She can also work with individuals with waivers.