The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) received, at the end of last week, the first horse donated by the Brazilian Association of Quarter Horse Breeders (ABQM), in partnership with the National Association of Equine Therapy (Ande Brasil), for use in equine therapy in autistic children. The animal is a male of the quarter mile breed, and named 'Loirinho'. The Agricultural School of Jundiaí (EAJ/UFRN), in the rural area of Macaíba, which maintains a partnership with the ISD, is the animal's home alongside the other horses that collaborate with equine therapy.

“We have more hippotherapists on the ISD team and increasing the number of animals is important so that there is a rotation among the horses that collaborate with this complementary therapy to the other therapeutic interventions, so that they don't get so tired. In addition, it is important that new horses arrive so that the old ones are retired and we can open the service to more patients from the Clinics, in addition to Autism, Spinal Cord Injury, Parkinson's and Microcephaly", highlights ISD's speech therapist, Luana Aprígio, who works as an equine therapist. 'Loirinho' is the first horse donated by ABQM and Ande Brasil to arrive at the Santos Dumont Institute, which should receive the donation of a second animal soon.

The animal received last week was donated by veterinarian and breeder Hyago Ramalho Leite, from Paraíba, ABQM member. According to the vice-president of the Association, Paulo Moura, known as Pauluca, the horse 'Loirinho' is in excellent health. “It is a good animal, with a history of competing in vaquejadas and very docile”, he stressed. As he explained, the animals donated for equine therapy need to meet very specific criteria such as age appropriate for the practice, docile temperament and accustomed to living with humans, in addition to being castrated. 

“The Loirinho horse arrives at an important time, in which we are working on expanding our equine therapy services between the Agricultural School and the ISD. We intend to expand the assistance to autistic children and, from the second half of the year, we will start providing assistance to patients with Parkinson's. The animal received has excellent musculature, strong articulation and will perform its functions well. Loirinho has a very good health status and is extremely docile and patient, who accepts and loves human contact”, highlights zootechnician Prof. Mário Cardoso, from the Agricultural School of Jundiaí. 

Donation

In addition to the two animals donated to ISD, another 39 were delivered by ABQM and Ande Brasil to 22 institutions that work with equine therapy in 11 Brazilian states. Donations were made possible through the Pátria Voluntária Program. According to the president of ABQM's Executive Board, Carlos Eduardo Pedrosa Auricchio, the donation of animals to rehabilitation institutions shows the strength of the union of the entities involved in the action. “It is a historic moment. Being at the head of an entity of this magnitude makes us look in different directions and promote great actions. In addition, it makes us realize, more and more, the need for an increasingly structured sector”, he said. 

The work developed by ISD in the rehabilitation of people with disabilities through equine therapy was recognized by the president of Ande Brasil, Jorge Dornelles Passamani. “I left ISD in love. These horses will make a difference in the rehabilitation of patients throughout Brazil”, he said during the animal delivery ceremony held in Brasília on March 29. 

equine therapy

Riding therapy is a complementary therapy, which does not replace other therapeutic and educational interventions, but which brings clinical gains at a physical and psychological level, such as the development of muscle strength, relaxation and body awareness. Since 2017, at least 20 children assisted by the ISD have undergone Equine Therapy. In 2022, five more children aged 4 years old will be followed up with equine therapy included in the treatment. 

They are part of a multicentric national research project of the National Association of Riding Therapy (Ande Brasil), entitled “Communicating with equine therapy: The effect of equine therapy in the rehabilitation of people with autism spectrum disorder”, which aims to work on aspects of language and communication. The research has five data collection centers in Brazil, the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) being one of them.

The general director of ISD, Reginaldo Freitas Jr., emphasizes the relevance of equine therapy in improving the lives of children with autism and the successful partnership with the Agricultural School of Jundiaí. “The results are undeniable and, above all, exciting. Without the harmony of work and the sum of efforts of the teams from ISD and the Agricultural School of Jundiaí/UFRN, this dream would not be a reality”, he declares.