NCT07802509

Brief Summary

The goal of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effects of hippotherapy (horse assisted therapy) (intervention group) compared to usual care (control group) on mobility, gait, balance and perceived health-related quality of life in persons with Parkinson's disease. The main objectives of this study are:

  • The primary objective is to investigate the effects of hippotherapy on mobility of pwPD, walking speed and the ability to perform daily movements.
  • The secondary objective is to investigate the effects of hippotherapy on (a) balance, (b) self-perceived physical and mental health and (c) specific gait parameters.
  • Furthermore this study, aims to gather critical information that will inform about the design and implementation of a larger, more definitive randomized controlled trial. In addition to the three-week, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program the intervention group will receive hippotherapy (20 minutes) three times a week (7 sessions in total) and the control group will receive additional physiotherapy sessions (30 minutes) two times a week.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
30

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable parkinson-disease

Timeline
3mo left

Started Jan 2025

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress88%
Jan 2025Jan 2027

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 1, 2025

Completed
1.7 years until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

August 31, 2026

Completed
3 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

September 3, 2026

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

January 1, 2027

Expected
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

January 1, 2027

Last Updated

September 17, 2026

Status Verified

August 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

2 years

First QC Date

August 31, 2026

Last Update Submit

September 14, 2026

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Keywords

ParkinsonHippotherapyEquine assisted therapyPhysiotherapyRehabilitation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Functional mobility.

    Functional mobility will be measured with the expanded Timed Up and Go test. The eTUG is a modification of the traditional Timed Up and Go test, whereby the distance is increased from 6 to 10m. This has enabled a more accurate gait assessment in pwPD. Multiple time points are assessed: * The time the person takes to get from a sitting to standing position. * The time the person takes to walk the first two meters (gait initiation) * The time the person takes to walk the remaining (gait 1) * The time the person takes to turn (turning) * The time the person takes to (gait 2) * The time the person takes to slow down, turn and sit down again The more time someone takes to perform the test, the more the mobility is impaired.

    From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

  • Balance

    From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks

  • Health related quality of life

    From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks

  • Walking capacity

    From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks

Other Outcomes (3)

  • Recruitment rates

    through study completion, approximately 2 years.

  • Adherence

    From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks

  • Adverse effects.

    From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Hippotherapy

EXPERIMENTAL

In addition to the three-week, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program the intervention group will receive hippotherapy three times a week (7 sessions in total). The hippotherapy sessions last 20 minutes each and aim at trunk rotation (in the transverse and frontal plane), rhythm and trunk stability. They will receive this in addition to the usual three-week rehabilitation program. This program includes 30 minutes of physical therapy daily plus two additional physiotherapy sessions of 30 minutes, 30 minutes of occupational therapy 3x/week, strength training 3x/week, 45 minutes of balance training 2x/week and, as required, other therapies such as nutritional advice, speech therapy and/or creative therapy to meet the individual needs of people with Parkinson's.

Other: Hippotherapy

Usual care

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The comparison group will perform the three-week rehabilitation program, without hippotherapy. This program includes 30 minutes of physical therapy daily plus two additional physiotherapy sessions of 30 minutes, 30 minutes of occupational therapy 3x/week, strength training 3x/week, 45 minutes of balance training 2x/week and, as required, other therapies such as nutritional advice, speech therapy and/or creative therapy to meet the individual needs of people with Parkinson's.

Other: Physiotherapy

Interventions

HippotherapyOTHER

Hippotherapy is a form of physical therapy that utilizes the natural gait and movement of a horse to provide motor and sensory input. The hippotherapy sessions last 20 minutes each and aim at trunk rotation (in the transverse and frontal plane), rhythm and trunk stability.

Also known as: Equine assisted therapy
Hippotherapy
PhysiotherapyOTHER

Physiotherapy sessions take 30 minutes and focus on core stability and exercises with large motor tasks

Also known as: Exercise therapy, Physical therapy
Usual care

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Confirmed diagnosis of Parkinson's diagnosis
  • Age \> 18 Years;
  • Hoehn \& Yahr stage ≤ 4;
  • Category 3 in the Functional Ambulation Categories
  • Climbing stairs is possible (with support).

You may not qualify if:

  • Severe cognitive impairment, defined by a score below 26 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa)
  • Body weight \> 90kg;
  • Horse hair allergy;
  • Other acute and subacute cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal or neurological disorders that constitute a contraindication to hippotherapy (i.e. a recent fracture);
  • Pregnancy.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Rehabilitation Centre Valens

Valens, Canton of St. Gallen, 7317, Switzerland

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Interventions

Equine-Assisted TherapyPhysical Therapy ModalitiesExercise Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Parkinsonian DisordersBasal Ganglia DiseasesBrain DiseasesCentral Nervous System DiseasesNervous System DiseasesMovement DisordersSynucleinopathiesNeurodegenerative Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Animal Assisted TherapyRehabilitationAftercareContinuity of Patient CarePatient CareTherapeuticsPsychotherapyBehavioral Disciplines and Activities

Central Study Contacts

Jens Bansi, PhD

CONTACT

+41 58 511 13 02jens.bansi@kliniken-valens.ch

Isa Slotboom, MSc

CONTACT

+41 58 511 13 73isa.slotboom@kliniken-valens.ch

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Who Masked
INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Dr Jens Bansi, PhD

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

August 31, 2026

First Posted

September 3, 2026

Study Start

January 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2027

Last Updated

September 17, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Locations

CH(1)