Baylor Occupational Therapy Alumna Guides Adaptive Riding and Hippotherapy Capstone Projects

January 24, 2025
A hand touches a horse's nose, between eyes.

To earn a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree from Baylor University’s Department of Occupational Therapy—and then return to the Department to serve as an adjunct professor—is something special. Anne Bradley, OTD, OTR, did just that.

Bradley’s journey began long before enrolling in Baylor’s Post-professional OTD program. She was a practicing occupational therapist for more than 25 years, serving in clinics that specialized in areas such as hippotherapy and typical therapy for children and young adults. Yet, her desire to help educate the next generation of occupational therapists never wavered, so she applied to the Post-professional OTD program knowing it would provide a teaching-focused curriculum. In December 2023, she graduated with her doctoral degree. 

As an adjunct professor, Bradley is currently mentoring six students through their capstone experience for the Entry-level OTD program. In the beginning stages, her hands-on involvement guided each student to select an innovative project idea that relates to their professional goals. As a capstone mentor, she challenges students to be realistic in terms of project scope and assists when challenges arise—just as a capstone mentor once did for her. One-on-one monthly meetings allow her an opportunity to provide continued individual attention, while group meetings spur collaboration and a sense of community among Baylor students. 

“As the capstone progressed, mentor check-ins allowed me to identify potential challenges and solutions for implementing the project,” she said. “My job has been to encourage and support students as they navigate implementing the project while practicing professional behaviors and using new clinical reasoning skills. During a week-long lab immersion experience in Waco, we work on capstone poster production and presentation.” 

This year, four of the capstone projects are focused on adaptive riding and hippotherapy—both, specialized types of equine-assisted therapy. A horse’s natural walking gait creates a repetitive, rhythmic movement that provides physical and sensory feedback to its rider. Such movements can aid treatment for patients with developmental, mental, neurological, or other difficulties. 

Anne Bradley, OTD, poses in her graduation gown.

Bradley’s journey with horses also began long before these capstone projects. Her daughter took her first riding lesson when she was just a five-year-old, and for the next fifteen years they spent countless hours around horses. By interacting with professionals, riders, and therapists across the country, Bradley learned about horse behavior and how quality movements can be useful in therapy. Eventually, a facility asked her to join their team as an occupational therapist. 

“When my daughter started junior high, we were part of a mother-daughter service organization that offered volunteering for an adaptive riding program, which included leading the horse or side walking during hippotherapy sessions,” she recalled. “Since my daughter loved horses—and I was interested in observing the therapy part of these sessions—this particular opportunity interested both of us. I saw how I could combine my therapeutic knowledge and experience with my horse knowledge to serve people in a new way.” 

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a horse’s pelvis is just like the human pelvis as it displays a 3-axial movement pattern while walking. Thus, adaptive riding and hippotherapy can greatly improve patient care and be used as impactful interventions throughout life. 

Adaptive riding aims to make riding accessible to individuals with physical or cognitive difficulties. It accesses modified riding techniques such as an instructor making a slight change in environment or adding equipment to the saddle. While adaptive riding instructors have undergone specific training, therapy does not happen during these lessons because a licensed therapist is not necessary. 

In contrast, hippotherapy occurs under the direct supervision of an occupational, physical, or speech therapist. Hippotherapy sessions use a horse’s repetitive movement in a purposeful way. The therapy is combined with an overall plan of care to improve things like abnormal movement patterns, emotional regulation, endurance, flexibility, strength, muscle tone, and postural balance. Thus, the impact can be beneficial to individuals living with disabilities like arthritis, autism, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress, stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury.

“Personally, I have seen children improve dynamic sitting balance, which allows for purposeful play at home with siblings. The regulation of the sensory system helped one child skip and throw a ball at school so he could participate in physical education games,” she said. “I have seen many preschool children say their first words on the horse, and begin to engage in social communication, because of their time on the horse and the resulting integration and regulation of sensory, neuromotor, and cognitive systems. It’s a really cool thing to watch!”

The Department’s capstone project requirement deeply enriches its OTD education by providing in-depth exposure to a specialized subject. The experience also helps to strengthen research knowledge and real-world clinical application, while honing leadership skills. It is all connected—and Bradley says it is exposure most will carry into their future careers as occupational therapists. 

“By working through the project from problem identification, needs assessment, literature review, intervention planning all the way to expected outcomes, students learn to appreciate all of the various facets of implementing evidence-based practice and what that entails,” she explained. 

As an alumna herself, Bradley is certain she is providing strong mentorship to today’s generation and promoting a strong connection between Baylor Occupational Therapy’s education and real-world healthcare. She loves seeing her students’ capstone projects evolve—each one is innovative and has the strong opportunity to leave a lasting impact on patient care. 

“Being a Baylor OTD alumna has been very helpful in my role as a capstone mentor. I am very familiar with the purpose and process of capstone, and my time in the Baylor program helps me speak directly to the specific objectives and requirements necessary for completion in the Baylor program,” she stated. “Basically, I’ve seen the ‘inside’ of how the process at Baylor works, and I can help students navigate things for their own projects.”

Interested in learning more about Baylor Occupational Therapy's capstone projects? Click here for the Entry-level OTD program. Click here for the Post-professional OTD program, or view its project posters.