Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Quantitative study designs were eligible for inclusion. The included studies were cohort, single case, before-after and case study designs.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of instructor-directed recreational horseback riding therapy (HBRT) and licensed therapist-directed hippotherapy were eligible for inclusion. Detailed descriptions of these interventions were provided. The duration of the intervention ranged from 6 to 26 weeks, with sessions lasting from 30 to 120 minutes. The intervention was carried out once or twice weekly.
Participants included in the review
Studies of children with CP were eligible for inclusion. The included studies were of children with CP, children with spastic CP only, or children with a range of developmental disabilities of which a subgroup had CP, or compared children with CP with non-disabled children. One case study was of a child with hemiplegic CP. Some studies compared children on the basis of severity of disability or whether they had quadriplegic or diplegic CP.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies of gross motor function were eligible for inclusion. The outcomes reported were the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) total score, GMFM-C (kneeling and crawling), GMFM-E (walking, running and jumping), the Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) total score and PEDI social score, percentage change in range of body movement and strength, and measures of lateral trunk displacement, posture and weight bearing of arms and legs.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.