A professional language therapist has started using hippotherapy - the act of using horses in order to aid speech and language therapy.

That's according to Bctv.org, which confirmed the news, and claimed that the practice of hippotherapy could "increase motor planning abilities so that she or she can focus more specifically on speech and language production."

The therapist in question, Rachel Gerhart, opened her business - called PonyTalk - as a way to combine her passions for language therapy and all things equine.

Her technique has been hailed as an "alternative but effective speech and language therapy option," and was named hippotherapy after the Greek word for horse - hippo.

In addition to promoting strong speech and language skills, the website also said hippotherapy could help "meet a child's sensory needs, increase his or her attention and motivation, provide postural support and control."

Gerhart's methods might be of interest those in speech and language therapy jobs, as it offers a very real alternative to the traditional techniques employed in these roles.

The American Hippotherapy Association confirmed this, claiming that it was an ideal solution for kids who struggled with speech: "The speech-language pathologist is able to use equine movement to facilitate the physiologic systems that support speech and language."

"The speech-language pathologist is able [to] generate effective remediation of communication disorders and promote functional communication outcomes."