In a bid to help him, Iliza decided to try hippotherapy. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with hippos – this medical treatment option involves the use of specially trained therapy horses. The word is partially derived from the Greek “hippos”, which means “horse”.
Iliza began attending overseas workshops about the method and even pursued a specialised hippotherapy course in Athens.
In 2014, she and her husband, paediatrician Dr Ali Azman Minhaj, established a local hippotherapy centre and introduced their son to equine-assisted therapy, which proved effective.
Now 18, Mikhail’s motor skills have greatly improved and he has done well at school. Furthermore, he has developed a love for horse riding and even does it competitively.
Today, Green Apple Hippotherapy, the centre established by Iliza and Ali, is still going strong. It has, by their estimates, helped over 500 patients since its founding.
According to the couple, it was the first centre to have introduced hippotherapy to the nation.
“Hippotherapy is one of the most effective ways of treatment for children with autism, cerebral palsy, and other special needs. It is medically proven, well-researched, and carried out by medical professionals. And we take safety as a top priority here,” said Ali, a paediatric consultant at a medical centre in Klang.
Hippotherapy can also be used to help patients with issues such as trauma, depression, anxiety, trust issues and others, in addition to developing gross and fine motor skills.
Healing with horses
Located on a verdant piece of land, the Green Apple Hippotherapy Centre was bustling with activity when visited by FMT Lifestyle, with trainers leading young patients on horses around a small grassy track.
The centre is home to four ponies – Tommy, Bambi, Rose and Salsa – who are all of different sizes to accommodate children of different ages. Each animal was imported from Europe and handpicked by the founders, who ensure they are docile enough to be around people.
While riding might look like fun, it’s not all horseplay here: every step of the process is carried out by the centre’s licensed physiotherapists and occupational therapists, who are not only experienced in their respective fields but are trained in “horse management”.
According to Iliza, Green Apple Hippotherapy presently treats 60 people, whose ages range from six to adulthood. These participants usually come for sessions about once a week – some twice – and ride for 30-45 minutes.
“If you look at a horse from behind, how its pelvis moves, its gait pattern, it’s very similar to how a human being walks,” she pointed out. “And sometimes you have a child who can’t walk, maybe from cerebral palsy or global development delay, who can’t even bear their weight on their feet or stand.
“When you put them on a horse, they have a real sensation of how they are supposed to be walking. And then their brain learns from this.”
She added that results are often visible after just a few sessions. “Sensory input when you’re outdoors on a horse can go up to eight times higher compared with regular classroom-based therapy,” Iliza noted.
As for the future, she hopes the centre will be able to work with other such establishments, so that their services can be introduced to more people who need them.
Iliza would also like to branch out into equine-assisted psychotherapy, which uses horses to help patients with psychological and mental health issues.
“When we introduce patients to hippotherapy, we don’t just help them, we help their families as well. And that’s the best part of this,” she concluded.
Green Apple Hippotherapy
Selangor Turf Club,
8, Jalan Kuda Emas,
43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor
Learn more about Green Apple Hippotherapy via their website. Also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.