Anne R. Crecelius, PhD, and students visit with La Roja Paralimpica athletes in Chile.

Choosing your favorite part of a trip can be a difficult decision for travelers. I had countless unforgettable and unique experiences during a recent four-week trip to Chile. One excursion that stands above the rest was a weekend trip to San Pedro de Atacama in Northern Chile.

I was studying with a group of students who had booked a horseback riding tour through the oasis of Sequitor. With the Andes Mountains as our backdrop, we spent two hours enjoying the perfect blue sky, warm sun and crisp air. This small agricultural region is in what is often called the driest desert in the world.

I had never been horseback riding and did not realize how much coordination, strength

Molly Gearin tries her hand at horseback riding.

and physical and mental stamina it required. I later learned that horseback riding is a type of rehabilitative treatment—called hippotherapy—that may improve coordination, balance and strength in people with physical disabilities, including cerebral palsy (CP).

CP is a neurological disorder that affects body movement and coordination. Studies have shown that hippotherapy can improve joint stability, balance and painful muscle contractions in people with CP. Children with CP may especially benefit from hippotherapy. Therapeutic riding can change how the abdominal and lower back (core) muscles respond to different movements. These physiological benefits can improve posture and the overall quality of life in some children, particularly among those who have the ability to walk, run and jump.

Researching hippotherapy was not the first time I thought about people with CP on our trip to Chile. Another favorite activity was our opportunity to watch La Roja Paralimpica, the Chilean Paralympic Fútbol 7-a-side team, practice. This sport is adapted from traditional fútbol (soccer) to accommodate athletes with disabilities. The modified rules allow Paralympic athletes to enjoy a sport that is at the heart of Chilean culture.

As a future physical therapist, I enjoyed observing elite athletes at work and learning about hippotherapy, an activity that could be of benefit to people with CP.

– Molly Gearin (Anne Crecelius contributed to this post)

Molly Gearin is a pre-physical therapy major at the University of Dayton. Anne R. Crecelius, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Health and Sport Science Department at the University of Dayton. They spent four weeks in Chile as part of a study abroad program in partnership with the Universidad de los Andes studying nutrition, sports and research in the context of the Chilean culture. This is the first in a three-part series that spies physiology in this dynamic South American country.