A literal definition is " helping with a horse." Hippotherapy is horse-centered therapy with a physical or occupational therapist and a professional horse handler. The goal of Hippotherapy is to improve neurological functioning in cognition, body movement, organization, and attentional levels through professional treatment. The horse's movement is essential to assist in meeting therapy goals. The treating therapist will continually assess and modify therapy based on the clients' response to treatment and generally occurs year-round until the client meets discharge criteria.