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OBJECTIVE	To examine whether hippotherapy has a clinically significant effect on gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy ( CP ) .
METHODS	Randomized controlled trial .
METHODS	Outpatient therapy center .
METHODS	Ninety-two children with CP , aged 4-10 years , presenting variable function ( Gross Motor Function Classification System [ GMFCS ] levels I-IV ) .
METHODS	Hippotherapy ( 30 minutes twice weekly for 8 consecutive weeks ) .
METHODS	Gross Motor Function Measure ( GMFM ) -88 , GMFM-66 , and Pediatric Balance Scale .
RESULTS	Pre - and post-treatment measures were completed by 91 children ( 45 in the intervention group and 46 in the control group ) .
RESULTS	Differences in improvement on all three measures significantly differed between groups after the 8-week study period .
RESULTS	Dimensions of GMFM-88 improved significantly after hippotherapy varied by GMFCS level : dimension E in level I , dimensions D and E in level II , dimensions C and D in level III , and dimensions B and C in level IV .
CONCLUSIONS	Hippotherapy positively affects gross motor function and balance in children with CP of various functional levels .

