Why this couple pioneered horse-assisted therapy for kids with special needs in Malaysia

Have you heard of hippotherapy before?

And no, it’s not therapy involving hippopotamuses.

Hippotherapy is also known as equine-assisted therapy, and refers to a form of physical, occupational, and speech therapy in which a therapist uses the characteristic movements of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory input.

And the very first centre to offer hippotherapy services in Malaysia is Green Apple Hippotherapy, which opened ten years ago.

Behind the business is couple Iliza Ikhbal and Dr Ali Azman Minhaj. Iliza herself is a horserider, while Dr Ali is a paediatrician. But the reason for them starting Green Apple actually goes beyond their interests and professions.

“One of our sons is autistic,” Dr Ali shared with Vulcan Post. “It’s because of him that we looked into hippotherapy.”

The couple has always stayed abreast on all the new developments and therapies being offered to neurodivergent children. After learning about hippotherapy, they actually flew to Greece, South Africa, and more, to learn more about it.

They actually ended up bringing two horses back to Malaysia, where their son was able to try hippotherapy. And lo and behold, the parents shared that he ended up progressing much faster than he ever had. He ended up overcoming many challenges, and now he is capable of being independent and will be heading to college soon.  

Understanding the potential in hippotherapy, they established Green Apple Hippotherapy in 2014, and they’ve been offering their services ever since.

Staying up to date with best practices

The staff members are comprised of three types of trained therapists—physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and speech therapist.

Green Apple takes what they do extremely seriously, which is why staff members are sent overseas to learn hippotherapy and get certified.

“In fact, all the people that practise hippotherapy in this country are trained by us,” Dr Ali claimed. “Nobody else trains.”

According to Dr Ali, the certification lasts for five years, after which therapists must be recertified to continue practising. This is critical for them to not just retain but update their knowledge.

He shared that Green Apple has welcomed more than 1,000 students, with 60 children receiving therapy there currently. Typically, these students have sessions once or twice a week. They’ve had students travel from as far as Alor Setar.

The ratio of therapists to students is three to one, making hippotherapy rather labour-intensive.

The centre is home to four horses, all of which are brought in from abroad as local horses are not quite suitable for the therapy.

And of course, the staff must be appropriately trained to handle the horses, too. To ensure the horse’s safety, they have a qualified horse management professional.

Horses as healers

But what’s so different about hippotherapy, compared to other therapies and treatments in the market?

“The horse is a very unique animal,” Dr Ali said. “They really mirror what you do.”

He shared that through the experience, as children learn about the horses, they will also end up learning more about themselves and their own feelings.

On top of that, the riding helps with balance, posture, and strength. Speech and social skills are also gained as the child interacts with the riding team.

Green Apple’s services are suitable for children with special needs, Dr Ali said. This includes those with autism, cerebral palsy, and global development delays.

In terms of results, he believes that apparent changes can be observed as early as three sessions in.

But before one can begin sessions, there are proper medical protocols to follow.

“They must be assessed by me first, as a paediatrician,” Dr Ali said.

This assessment involves verifying the child’s diagnosis and whether they will be able to benefit from hippotherapy. From there, Dr Ali will refer them to the trained therapists at Green Apple.

These therapists will carry out their own evaluations to plan the programme for that particular child.  

“We’re not teaching them how to ride, we’re giving them treatment on the horse, with the aid of the horse,” he said.

The assessments are very thorough, and the therapists will record and discuss each session with the parents.

Raising awareness

But as far as I can tell, there isn’t that much attention or awareness when it comes to hippotherapy in Malaysia. This is something that Dr Ali definitely recognises.

“On our part, I do not expose hippotherapy too much,” he said. “We don’t want this programme, this treatment to be abused.”

He pointed to acupuncture as an example. When acupuncture first started being offered as a treatment, there were many who were hesitant to try it. But then, as it became popularised, many people, including untrained individuals, would start offering it as a service.

Dr Ali believes that this is what’s happening to hippotherapy as well. There may be a number of providers out there who are not necessarily qualified or have not received retraining.

It’s why Green Apple strives to do everything in a proper way, with the proper medical protocols.  

And now, after 10 years of operations, the team is finally ready to expose it to the market.

But there is a myriad of challenges still. For example, many parents still cannot afford it because of the expensive prices.

And then for parents who can afford it, they may not be aware of hippotherapy and its benefits, or perhaps do not know that Green Apple exists in Malaysia as a provider.

That’s why awareness is key.

This will be critical in allowing the team to open more centres in regions like Johor or Penang. With that expansion, Green Apple Hippotherapy will be able to serve children across the country with their horses.

Featured Image Credit: Green Apple Hippotherapy