Table 1 The main features of reviewed studies

Matusiak-Wieczorek et al., 2016 [32]

39/

12 weeks

30 min/session

1–2/week

6–12

I-II

GMFM

SAS

The control of position and function of almost every assessed body part (head, trunk, feet, arms, hands) of the participants showed improvement.

Kwon et al., 2015 [33]

92/

8 weeks

30 min/session

2 /week

4–10

I-IV

GMFM-88, GMFM-66,

PBS

Significant improvements in motor function and balance of children who received hippotherapy intervention.

Deutz et al., 2018 [34]

73/

16–20 weeks

(twice)

1–2/week

5.8–12.4

II-IV

GMFM-66,

CHQ-28,

KIDSCREEN- 27

No significant changes were found in GMFM total scores, yet there was a notable increase in GMFM dimension E: walking, running, and jumping

Lucena-Antón et al., 2018 [35]

44/

12 weeks

45 min/session

1 /week

3–14

IV-V

MAS

Suggest combining conventional therapy with hippotherapy in a specific frequency to improve significantly hip adductor spasticity in children with CP and positively affect motor skills.

Chinniah et al., 2020 [36]¹

30/

12 weeks

15 min/session

3 /week

2–4

I-III

GMFS-88

i. In different stages of the treatment, both groups gradually demonstrated improvement in their sitting motor function according to the GMFM scale.

ii. Those who received the combined therapy improved even better during the research period.

iii. Riding the HRS appears to improve postural control in sitting and motor function of children with spastic diplegia.

Hemachithra et al., 2020 [37]¹

24/ -

30 min/session¹

2–4

GMFCS I-III

MAS 1–3

MAS

PROM

Children subjected to HRS show reduced muscle tone and improved hip abduction range of motion.

Champagne et al., 2017 [38]

13/

10 weeks

30 min/session,

1 /week

4–12

I-II

BOT2-SF,

GMFS-88

Hippotherapy can benefit gross motor function in children at GMFCS levels I and II.

Seung Mi et al., 2019

[39]

146/

8 weeks

(Total of 16

sessions)

30 min/session,

2/week

3–11

I-IV

GMFS-66,

GMFS-88,

PBS

The children with CP, GMFCS level I–III had improved postural control in sitting

Ali et al., 2022 [40]

60/

12 weeks

1 h/session, 3/week

3–5

III - IV

GMFM-88

Hippotherapy is more effective than whole-body vibration in improving sitting function and abdominal muscle thickness.

Prieto et al., 2021 [41]

20/

16 weeks

30-minute hippotherapy sessions 1–2/week

2 to 5 years and 11 months

II, III, IV, V

GMFM,

Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory

Hippotherapy improved the gross motor function and functional performance of children with cerebral palsy, regardless of the weekly frequency of the sessions.