Equine-Assisted Therapies (EAT) involve the use of horses in therapeutic settings to support physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. These therapies are implemented in various forms, including therapeutic riding, equine-assisted psychotherapy, and hippotherapy. Horses are integrated into the therapeutic process to facilitate interactions that may promote improvements in motor skills, emotional regulation, and social functioning. The unique characteristics of horses, such as their responsiveness to human behavior and non-verbal communication, are leveraged in these interventions. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, outcomes, and applications of equine-assisted therapies in diverse populations.
Kapteijn CM, Frippiat T, van Beckhoven C, van Lith HA, Endenburg N, Vermetten E, Rodenburg TB.Measuring physiological parameters of stress in horses during groundwork, for example when involved in equine-assisted interventions, is important to gain insight into the stress levels of the horses. Heart rate and heart rate variability can be used as physiological indicators of stress in horses. Heart rate monitors could be easily incorporated into practice, as they are not expensive and easy to use. However, it is questionable whether heart rate monitors present accurate heart rate variability results in exercising horses, similar to electrocardiograms. The aim of this study was to determi...
Kloock T, Hellige M, Kloock A, Feige K, Niebuhr T.Most horses affected by headshaking (HS) are diagnosed with idiopathic trigeminal-mediated headshaking (i-TMHS) when no underlying disease is found. Diagnosis is made by the exclusion of differentials considering history, clinical signs, and diagnostic investigations. Therefore, in horses presented with headshaking, many diagnostic procedures and therapies are conducted. Retrospectively, the digital patient records of 240 horses with HS were analysed regarding the impact of diagnostic procedures on diagnosis, therapy, and outcome. Horses were extensively examined using a standardised protocol ...
Fennig MW, Weber E, Santos B, Fitzsimmons-Craft EE, Wilfley DE.Eating disorders (EDs) are deadly illnesses with high relapse rates, highlighting need for better interventions. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been implemented supplementally for EDs, with horses utilized at many residential facilities. AAT shows promise with meta-analyses of randomized control trials (RCTs) showing significant decreases in depression, anxiety, and negative affect; however, no review to date has evaluated efficacy for EDs. Therefore, this study conducted a systematic review of primary literature to investigate the efficacy of AAT for EDs. A systematic review was conducted ...
Hoagwood K, Vincent A, Acri M, Morrissey M, Seibel L, Guo F, Flores C, Seag D, Peth Pierce R, Horwitz S.Reining in Anxiety (RiA) is a therapeutic program for youth with mild to moderate anxiety delivered in a therapeutic riding setting by Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors. RiA was developed after a review of the evidence base for youth anxiety, is manualized, and includes five core CBT components: in vivo exposure, cognitive restructuring, youth psychoeducation, relaxation, and caregiver psychoeducation about anxiety. This study extended findings from a prior RCT that examined (1) the feasibility of collecting saliva samples from horses and children to measure stress (cortisol) and relaxa...
Badin L, Alibran É, Pothier K, Bailly N.Equine-assisted interventions (EAI) can improve a variety of health problems in older adults and thus promote their well-being. This systematic review aimed to synthesize studies on EAI to understand better their effects on the health of older adults. Unassigned: A systematic search guided by the PRISMA 2020 approach was performed on specific databases: Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. Peer-reviewed articles published in the English language from inception to June 2022 were retrieved. Methodological quality was established using the modified version of the Downs and Bl...
Kovács G, van Dijke A, Leontjevas R, Enders-Slegers MJ.Attachment characteristics play a key role in mental health and in understanding mental disorders. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the role the attachment characteristics can play in treatment effects in adult patients with intrapsychic and interpersonal problems who underwent Equine-assisted Short-term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (ESTPP). In the first part of the study, we compared the effects of ESTPP to treatment-as-usual from a previous dataset regarding psychological dysfunction. For this, an explorative experimental non-randomized pre-treatment and 1-year post-treatment de...
Jung T, Park H, Kwon JY, Sohn S.Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Avian Influenza (AI) frequently occur in South Korea, resulting in high levels of occupational stress among quarantine workers forced to partake in massive livestock killings. This study explored the usefulness of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) in improving these workers' psychological and emotional functioning. A total of 51 FMD/AI control workers participated in 16 sessions of an EAL program facilitated by therapeutic riding professionals and trained horses. Results showed significant changes in their stress level, coping style, and overall quality of life-re...
Rudd C, Wheeler B, Pasiuk E, Schroeder K.Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) gained a foothold in the healthcare industry as a unique modality addressing the physical, cognitive, and psychological health issues for people across the lifespan. These services require a team approach, with volunteer support playing a prominent role in service delivery. Volunteers are a precious resource for EAS programs and step into a variety of support roles, including preparation and handling. However, little is known about the horse-volunteer relationship or factors that influence their working relationships. Therefore, the purpose of this web-based surv...
Rosing T, Malka M, Brafman D, Fisher PW.Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is an increasingly popular form of treatment for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who, for one reason or another, find psychotherapy and other traditional treatment approaches unsuitable or unhelpful. However, the concomitant growth of research in the field is yet to engage with key factors relating to EAT; specifically, there are few studies considering the phenomenological perspective of patients, and the embodied knowledge deriving from the lived experience of PTSD patients who participated in EAT-based intervention programmes. Based ...
Ward J, Hovey A, Brownlee K.Across mental health professionals, there is growing interest in the field of Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT). Preliminary evidence suggests EAT is beneficial for a wide spectrum of client populations. EAT programs may be based on groundwork alone, where participants interact with the horses from the ground only, or they may incorporate mounted activities. It remains unclear whether mounted activities add therapeutic benefits to the EAT experience for participants. This scoping review explored whether mounted activities, specifically where the client rides the horse, contribute to distinct thera...
Wang Y, Li X, Chen X, Kulyar MF, Duan K, Li H, Bhutta ZA, Wu Y, Li K.It is critical to characterize changes in the structure and composition of the host fungal community in natural infection, because it gives the possible overview of gut microbiome in host homeostasis and disease progression. A total of 168 rectal fecal samples were collected and examined using nPCR. The positive samples were double-checked using 18S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. After confirmation, ITS high-throughput sequencing was utilized to investigate the fungal community's response to natural infection. Results showed that a total of three positive samples (1.79%) were identified wi...
Peters BC, Pan Z, Christensen H, Gabriels RL.Emerging evidence suggests therapeutic horseback riding improves self-regulation behaviors, social functioning, and language in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been theorized that interacting with horses is calming for youth with ASD, which may influence social and language outcomes. The current study is an exploratory secondary mediation analysis of a previously published randomized controlled trial of therapeutic horseback riding for youth with ASD. We hypothesized that self-regulation would mediate therapeutic horseback riding's effect on social and language outcomes in yo...
Abdel Ghafar MA, Abdelraouf OR, Abdel-Aziem AA, Elnegamy TE, Mohamed ME, Yehia AM, Mousa GS.Idiopathic scoliosis is a common spinal malalignment that negatively impacts the respiratory system and physical conditioning in adolescents. Equine-assisted therapy comprises therapeutic horseback riding that optimizes physical performance and mobility in a range of contexts. However, the influence of equine-assisted therapy on pulmonary function remains unclear. Objective: To examine the impact of 10 weeks of hippotherapy combined with Schroth exercises on pulmonary function and aerobic capacity in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. Methods: A randomized controlled trial including 45 pat...
Choińska AM, Bajer W, Żurek A, Gieysztor E.Activities with horses cause many emotional reactions in their recipients, the measurement and analysis of which can provide information about positive or negative attitudes toward hippotherapy activities. The purpose of the study was to explore how horse contact affects the emotions of female and male students experiencing horseback riding during a three-day hippotherapy session. Unassigned: The study included 252 physiotherapy students from the Medical University of Wrocław who participated in hippotherapy classes during a three-day didactic and scientific course implemented in the years 20...
Mazzeo G, Bendixen R.Experiencing trauma has long-lasting effects on a child's well-being, which may affect their occupational performance. This scoping review synthesized research on community-based interventions for children who have experienced trauma to highlight occupational therapists' role in trauma-informed care. We searched PubMed and PTSDPubs, including community-based interventional trials that addressed childhood trauma and excluding studies specific to refugees, sex-trafficking, significant comorbid diagnoses, and reviews. Eleven articles met criteria. Psychotherapy-based interventions (e.g., trauma-i...
Sissons JH, Blakemore E, Shafi H, Skotny N, Lloyd DM.Children with autism typically experience difficulties interacting socially with others when compared to their non-autistic peers. Establishing how effective interventions are for improving social functioning is important to help inform what should be offered to children with autism. This study reviewed how effective interventions that involved interaction with a live animal, known as animal-assisted interventions, are in improving social functioning in children with autism. A systematic search of the evidence on this topic found nine studies, which were explored for the effectiveness of anima...
Jung YG, Chang HJ, Jo ES, Kim DH.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a horse-riding simulator (HRS) with virtual reality (VR) on gross motor function, balance control, and body composition in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Seventeen preschool and school-aged children with spastic CP were included; 10 children in the intervention group (HRS group) received 30 min of HRS with VR training twice a week for a total of 16 sessions in addition to conventional physiotherapy. Seven children in the control group were instructed to perform home-based aerobic exercises twice a week for 8 weeks in addition to convention...
Abisheva A, Abishov A, Khairullaeva K, Shynybayev K, Kalissynov B, Maikhin K, Kydyrmanov A, Karamendin K, Valdovska A, Syrym N.Equine rhinopneumonitis is an acute, highly contagious disease found virtually worldwide. The purpose of the studies presented in this paper is to develop a technology for the manufacture of a cell-derived equine rhinopneumonitis vaccine, as well as to assess the safety and immunogenicity of the newly developed vaccine in laboratory animals model. The object of the studies was the AK-2011 strain isolated from the horses suffering from rhinopneumonitis during an outbreak of abortions. The viability of the AK-2011 strain was assessed using a continuous line of calf trachea cells, a continuous li...
Hemingway A, Sullivan K.This paper is presenting results from an observational study which has measured the impact of an equine-assisted education (EAE) intervention on the future occurrence of domestic violence within the family over 1Â year following completion of the intervention as part of the troubled families program. The data analyzed were collected by the local authority troubled family's team from the different agencies involved including crime, health, and social care data. The data were analyzed and compared across four groups, those families on the troubled families program who had a key worker with a mem...
Haig L, Skinner K.Equine-assisted services (EAS) are gaining popularity as ways to promote psychological health and social well-being. EAS may show particular promise as culturally appropriate initiatives for at-risk Indigenous youth, as they are thought to align well with Indigenous ways of knowing which place emphasis on relationships between the land and all living beings. We seek to better understand previous uses of EAS as initiatives for at-risk youth populations, including Indigenous populations, and learn about which outcomes have been addressed in the literature with an EAS initiative by conducting a s...
Berardi A, Di Napoli G, Ernesto M, Fabbrini G, Conte A, Ferrazzano G, Viselli F, Galeoto G.The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of equine therapy (ET) to detect changes in the activities of daily living, quality of life, mood, balance, and gait in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: In the study, 17 participants with PD were recruited to participate in 10 sessions of ET. The inclusion criteria of the study were: second and third stages of the Hoehn and Yahr scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) greater than or equal to 24 points, and age up to 85 years. The outcome measures administered at the beginning and the end of treatment relied on mea...
Ramos MM, Nabeiro M.Balance is the basis for all body movements, and is influenced by sensory systems: visual, vestibular and proprioceptive. Therefore, the loss of any of these systems, as in the case of visual impairment (VI), may carry important consequences for body balance and, thus, motor development. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the static and dynamic balance of a participant with VI and autism characteristics. application of the Berg and Tinetti's Balance Scale, pre- and post-equine assisted services interventions. The study is a qualitative and descriptive case study. The data f...
Marchand WR, Joubert K, Smith J, Nazarenko E, Klinger W, Sheppard S, Hoopes KH.The aim of this observational pilot study was to assess the safety, feasibility, preliminary outcomes, and predictors of participant response as a result of implementing an equine-assisted intervention within a residential substance abuse treatment program at a large Veterans Administration medical center. A secondary aim was to evaluate psychological instruments for use in future, more rigorous studies. The overarching goal was to complete the necessary work to prepare for a large randomized controlled trial of this intervention for Veterans with addictive disorders. Methods: Participants wer...
Luksaite J, Zokaityte E, Starkute V, Sidlauskiene S, Zokaityte G, Bartkiene E.The aim of this study was to apply the FaceReader technique to select the animal species and breed for a personalized AAT based on the emotions ('neutral', 'happy', 'sad', 'angry', 'surprised', 'scared', 'disgusted', and 'contempt') induced in the persons (18-64 years old) by the images of different animal species and breeds. To implement the aim, the images of different animal species (, , , , and ) and their breeds (dogs: Australian shepherd, pug, Labrador retriever, Doberman, miniature schnauzer, beagle, three mixed-breed types, Yorkshire terrier, Cane Corso, Samoyed, and Chihuahua; cats: B...
Stolz I, Anneken V, Froböse I.The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) of the World Health Organization (WHO) was established as an international framework for monitoring rehabilitation outcomes and the impacts of health interventions since, as the term "functioning" implies, it emphasizes a person's "lived health" in addition to their biological health status. Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) represents a holistic intervention approach that aims to improve both biomedical functioning and the patient's lived health in relation to performing activities and participating in social situations...
Macauley BL.Incorporating horses into speech-language pathology services is a valid treatment strategy that can be used to help the client achieve their communication and/or swallowing goals. The purpose of this article is to discuss the history and terminology of incorporating horses into rehabilitation, explain theories for why incorporating horses works, and provide clinical applications to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's nine areas of practice with clinical reports.
Kinney AR, Eakman AM, Lassell R, Wood W.Evidence-based treatments for service-related health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are not effective for all veterans. Equine-assisted interventions are emerging as an additional treatment modality, but little is known regarding the safe and effective delivery of these interventions. This study aimed to describe the following features of the body of literature concerning equine-assisted interventions among veterans: 1) veterans who have participated in equine-assisted interventions; 2) specific characteristics of equine-as...
Dirienzo LN, Dirienzo LT, Baceski DA.The study was designed to document the heart rate response to therapeutic riding in children with cerebral palsy having mild-to-severe disability. Methods: Participants consisted of eight youth riders with cerebral palsy, divided into two groups: ambulatory and wheelchair dependent. The riders received continuous digital heart rate monitoring during 10 weekly 20-minute therapeutic horseback riding sessions. Results: The averaged resting, median, and peak heart rate values, as well as the peak percentage heart rate reserve values, were significantly higher in the wheelchair-dependent group. Con...
Gilboa Y, Helmer A. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, is currently one of the most common diagnoses given to children. Children with ADHD have a unique cognitive profile that involves difficulties in executive functions (EFs) and in the self-management system of the brain, and are at higher risk for educational failure, social and emotional difficulties, and high risk behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of self-management intervention for attention and executive functions using equine-assisted occupatio...
Hession CE, Eastwood B, Watterson D, Lehane CM, Oxley N, Murphy BA.The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of the physical motion of a horse (riding therapy) combined with the audiovisual perception of this motion on a group of children with dyspraxia in terms of cognition, mood arousal, and gait variability. Methods: The study design was a pretest/post-test. Methods: The study was conducted at the Fettercairn Youth Horse Project, Fettercairn, Tallaght, Dublin. Methods: Forty (40) children ranging from 6 to 15 years of age with a primary diagnosis of dyspraxia were the study subjects. Methods: Children meeting inclusion criteria participated...
White-Lewis S, Johnson R, Ye S, Russell C.To compare equine-assisted therapy to exercise education on pain, range of motion, and quality of life in adults and older adults with arthritis. Quality of life for adults and older adults is negatively impacted by arthritis pain, stiffness, and decreased function. Equine-assisted therapy provides unique movements to the rider's joints and muscles improving pain, range of motion, and quality of life and has improved outcomes in balance, gait, strength, functional mobility, and spasticity for older adults, stroke, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis patients. No research has investigate...
Explore (New York, N.Y.)December 17, 2013
Volume 10, Issue 2 81-87 doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2013.12.001
Kendall E, Maujean A, Pepping CA, Wright JJ.In the last few decades, therapeutic horse-riding has become recognized as a progressive form of therapy, particularly for people with disabilities. Although there is a substantial amount of literature that supports the physical benefit of therapeutic riding, only anecdotal evidence exists in relation to its psychological benefits. Objective: The purpose of this article is to develop hypotheses about the mechanisms by which therapeutic riding might have a beneficial psychological effect. These hypotheses can then be tested, leading to a more detailed knowledge base. Methods: PsychINFO, MEDLINE...
Morgan RA, Keen JA, Homer N, Nixon M, McKinnon-Garvin AM, Moses-Williams JA, Davis SR, Hadoke PWF, Walker BR.Equine Cushing disease [pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID)] is a common condition of older horses, but its pathophysiology is complex and poorly understood. In contrast to pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism in other species, PPID is characterized by elevated plasma ACTH but not elevated plasma cortisol. In this study, we address this paradox and the hypothesis that PPID is a syndrome of ACTH excess in which there is dysregulation of peripheral glucocorticoid metabolism and binding. In 14 horses with PPID compared with 15 healthy controls, we show that in plasma, cortisol levels...
Cabiddu R, Borghi-Silva A, Trimer R, Trimer V, Ricci PA, Italiano Monteiro C, Camargo Magalhães Maniglia M, Silva Pereira AM, Rodrigues das Chagas G....Neurological disorders are associated with autonomic dysfunction. Hippotherapy (HT) is a therapy treatment strategy that utilizes a horse in an interdisciplinary approach for the physical and mental rehabilitation of people with physical, mental and/or psychological disabilities. However, no studies have been carried out which evaluated the effects of HT on the autonomic control in these patients. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of a single HT session on cardiovascular autonomic control by time domain and non-linear analysis of heart rate variabilit...
Coffin J.Background: Recent statistics have painted a grim picture for Australia's Aboriginal youth, with reports of higher levels of almost every health indicator, including depression, sexual and emotional abuse, unemployment, and incarceration. Traditional western based therapies have proven to have limited effectiveness in engaging this group as they can often be culturally inappropriate. International studies have provided promising results using equine assisted learning, with a sound methodological basis underpinned by Indigenous ways of being and doing. In Australia Aboriginal people have strong...
Borges de Araujo T, Martins WR, Freitas MP, Camargos E, Mota J, Safons MP.Alzheimer disease (AD) is a chronic, progressive dementia syndrome that features cognitive and behavioral symptoms, as well as physical and functional limitations that develop over the course of the disease. As an activity that involves physical and cognitive aspects, equine-assisted therapy (EAT) could be a useful therapeutic approach in conditions that involve physical and cognitive decline. However, to date, there are no reports of the use of this therapy in participants with AD. Within this context, the objective of this case series was to describe the effects of EAT on balance, functional...
Homnick DN, Henning KM, Swain CV, Homnick TD.Falls are an important cause of morbidity in older adults. Equine-assisted activities including therapeutic riding (TR) benefit balance and neuromuscular control in patients with neurological disabilities but have not been systematically studied in older adults at greater risk for falls due to balance deficits. The effect of an 8-week TR program on measures of balance and quality of life in community-dwelling older adults with established balance deficits was evaluated. Methods: This was a pretest-post-test single-group trial of a TR program on measures of balance and quality of life. Methods:...
Murphy D, Kahn-D'Angelo L, Gleason J.The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of hippotherapy on functional outcomes using the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) for children with physical disabilities. Methods: Participants included 4 children aged 5 to 9 years with physical impairments and/or documented motor delays. Individual measurable objectives were developed using the GAS for each child. Data were collected on each child every other week throughout the baseline and intervention phase over 1 year using a multiple single case experimental A-B design. Results: Three of the 4 children had a significant improvement in func...
Wilkie DA, Gilger BC.Glaucoma is a diverse group of vision-impairing disorders that have as a common bond an elevation of intraocular pressure(IOP) to a level incompatible with the health of the eye. Glaucoma can be congenital, primary, or secondary. Congenital equine glaucoma is associated with developmental abnormalities of the iridocorneal angle or, in many cases, with the more severe anterior segment dysgenesis.
Encheff JL, Armstrong C, Masterson M, Fox C, Gribble P.This study investigated the effects of a 10-week hippotherapy program on trunk, pelvis, and hip joint positioning during the stance phase of gait. Methods: Eleven children (6 boys and 5 girls; 7.9 ± 2.7 years) with neurological disorders and impaired ambulation participated. Joint range of motion data were collected via 3-dimensional computerized gait analysis before and after the program. Paired t tests were performed on kinematic data for each joint. Results: Significant improvements (P ≤ .008) and large effect sizes (ESs) for sagittal plane hip positions at initial contact and toe-off we...
Chinniah H, Natarajan M, Ramanathan R, Ambrose JWF.Horse riding simulator (HRS) is an electronic horse, working under the principles of hippotherapy. It is one of the advanced therapeutic methods to improve postural control and balance in sitting, which could be recommended in the rehabilitation of cerebral palsy if real horses are unavailable. Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of HRS on sitting motor function in children with spastic diplegia and evaluate the changes in sitting motor function at different periods of time (4, 8 and 12 weeks). Methods: This study is a randomized controlled trial conducted over a period of 12â€...
Håkanson M, Möller M, Lindström I, Mattsson B.A total of 24 patients, considerably disabled in daily activities by back pain, participated in an Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) programme. The patients also had several health problems in addition to their current pain. The programme emphasised the principles of body awareness. The study is aimed at investigating not only whether symptom reduction would be achieved, but also at identifying qualities of EAT that were particularly beneficial for the patients' well being. The study was performed according to action research principles. The treatment reduced the pain and lessened other symptoms. ...
Marchand WR, Lackner R, Hartquist A, Finnell L, Nazarenko E.The primary aim of this pilot study was to assess the safety, feasibility, acceptability, as well as preliminary outcomes of a mindfulness and self-compassion-based psychotherapy incorporating horses (PIH) intervention, Whispers with Horses, for Veterans who had experienced trauma. Whispers with Horses was developed as a structured intervention that could be easily replicated for additional studies. If shown to be effective by future rigorous research, the aim is to disseminate a manualized version of the intervention to the field. Methods: Prospective open trial. Methods: A large Veterans Adm...
Hamill D, Washington KA, White OR.The purpose of this single subject research study was to examine the effects of a once weekly, 10-week hippotherapy program for three children, ages 27-54 months, with cerebral palsy. Participants were rated as Level V on the Gross Motor Function Classification System. The Sitting Dimension of the Gross Motor Function Measure was used to establish a baseline of sitting abilities, and was administered every 2 weeks during intervention. The Sitting Assessment Scale and the Gross Motor Function Measure were administered before, after, and 4 weeks postintervention. Parental perceptions of the hipp...
Carlsson C.Despite an increasing number of studies, there is still a lack of knowledge about the unique features that underlie the process in equine assisted social work (EASW). This study aimed to reveal, through qualitative methods, the dyads within the triad that become stronger during the process of EASW, as well as the effect of the participation of the horse on the relationship between the counselor and client. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with nine female self-harming clients aged 15-21Â years and eight staff members. The interviews, together with video-recorded human-horse inte...
Kaiser L, Smith KA, Heleski CR, Spence LJ.To determine the effects of a therapeutic riding program on psychosocial measurements among children considered at risk for poor performance or failure in school or life and among children in special education programs. Methods: Observational study. Methods: 17 at-risk children (6 boys and 11 girls) and 14 special education children (7 boys and 7 girls). Methods: For the at-risk children, anger, anxiety, perceived self-competence, and physical coordination were assessed. For the special education children, anger and cheerfulness were measured, and the children's and their mothers' perceptions ...
Park IK, Lee JY, Suk MH, Yoo S, Seo YG, Oh JK, Kwon JY. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have an impaired cardiac autonomic function. Attenuated heart rate recovery (HRR), which is a valuable prognostic parameter for autonomic nervous system, is known to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. However, only few studies have observed the effects of exercise on the cardiac autonomic function in children with CP. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effects of equine-assisted activity (EAA) program on cardiac autonomic function in children with CP. A single-blinded, parallel, two-arm pilo...
Tsantefski M, Briggs L, Griffiths J, Tidyman A.Children exposed to problematic parental substance use (PPSU) often face a number of deleterious developmental outcomes, yet these children are less likely to become known to child protection and welfare services. Although there is a growing evidence base for equine-assisted therapy (EAT) as an effective treatment modality for atypically developing children and adolescents, scant research has explored the benefit of EAT for children exposed to PPSU. The current study is the first to explore the benefit of EAT for children exposed to PPSU in Victoria, Australia. Five 12-week EAT programmes were...
Kalmbach D, Wood W, Peters BC.This paper reports on the qualitative phase of a mixed methods study of occupational therapy in an equine environment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study's quantitative phase found that this intervention improved the occupational performance, social motivation, social communication, and self-regulation of some children with ASD. The study's qualitative phase, reported herein, subsequently aimed to describe parental perspectives on children's experiences of the intervention and its influences on everyday life. Using a qualitative descriptive research approach, five paren...
Clayton HM, Kaiser LJ, de Pue B, Kaiser L.We compared anteroposterior and mediolateral range of motion and velocity of the center of pressure (COP) on the horse's back between riders without disabilities and riders with cerebral palsy. An electronic pressure mat was used to track COP movements beneath the saddle in 4 riders without disabilities and 4 riders with cerebral palsy. Comparisons between rider groups were made using the Mann-Whitney test (p < .05). The two rider groups differed significantly in anteroposterior range of COP motion, mediolateral range of COP motion, and mediolateral COP velocity. Anteroposterior COP velocit...
Chang HJ, Jung YG, Park YS, O SH, Kim DH, Kim CW.The horse riding simulator (HRS) reportedly has a beneficial effect on motor function and balance in children with cerebral palsy (CP). However, by itself, the HRS is not a sufficient source of challenge and motivation for children. To address this issue, we combined the HRS with virtual reality (VR) to promote somatosensory stimulation and motivation. Sixteen children (ages: 5-17 years) with CP and presenting Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-IV were enrolled in the study. Using a head-mounted display and controllers, interventions were carried out over 30-min period...
Sissons JH, Blakemore E, Shafi H, Skotny N, Lloyd DM.Children with autism typically experience difficulties interacting socially with others when compared to their non-autistic peers. Establishing how effective interventions are for improving social functioning is important to help inform what should be offered to children with autism. This study reviewed how effective interventions that involved interaction with a live animal, known as animal-assisted interventions, are in improving social functioning in children with autism. A systematic search of the evidence on this topic found nine studies, which were explored for the effectiveness of anima...
Rosing T, Malka M, Brafman D, Fisher PW.Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is an increasingly popular form of treatment for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who, for one reason or another, find psychotherapy and other traditional treatment approaches unsuitable or unhelpful. However, the concomitant growth of research in the field is yet to engage with key factors relating to EAT; specifically, there are few studies considering the phenomenological perspective of patients, and the embodied knowledge deriving from the lived experience of PTSD patients who participated in EAT-based intervention programmes. Based ...
