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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / A Survey of Horse Selection, Longevity, and Retirement in Eq...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(8); 2333; doi: 10.3390/ani11082333

A Survey of Horse Selection, Longevity, and Retirement in Equine-Assisted Services in the United States.

Abstract: Little published information exists on the horses in equine-assisted services (EAS), particularly their selection, longevity, and retirement. The purpose of this study was to characterize horses and procedures used in EAS. A pilot survey was developed using focus group discussions and distributed to Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International (PATH Intl) centers in Florida ( = 45, Part I) before further modification and distribution to members of PATH Intl., American Hippotherapy Association (AHA), eagala, and Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) ( = 26,000, Part II). Response rates were 36% (Part I) and 0.7% (Part II). Centers report a median of 10 (Part I) or 9 (Part II) horses and ponies. Selection procedures included initial screening (Part I = 100%, Part II = 96%), pre-purchase or pre-donation exam (I = 64%, II = 60%), acclimation period (I = 100%, II = 84%), trial period (I = 91%, II = 90%), and other (II = 11%). Horses remained active in programs for less than a year to over 20 years with the greatest number working 7-10 (Part I) or 1-6 (Part II) yr. In Part I of the study, behavior (44%) was the leading cause of retirement followed by unsoundness (33%). In Part II, unsoundness was the highest ranked response followed by behavior. Behavior, soundness, and health emerged as key factors in horse selection and retirement. Future work should focus on investigating these issues at an individual horse level.
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Publication Date: 2021-08-07 PubMed ID: 34438791PubMed Central: PMC8388649DOI: 10.3390/ani11082333Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research study aimed to better understand the selection, longevity, and retirement practices of horses used in equine-assisted services (EAS), like therapy and rehabilitation. It was found that horses’ behavior, soundness, and health were paramount in EAS procedures, and affected the duration of their activity in the programs.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers used a two-part survey to gather data. They first designed this survey based on focus group discussions.
  • The survey was initially distributed to 45 centers in Florida that are members of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International (PATH Intl), for Part I of the study.
  • After refining the survey based on initial responses, it was then sent to members of PATH Intl., the American Hippotherapy Association, eagala, and the Certified Horsemanship Association. These organizations have a collective membership of 26,000, providing the data for Part II of the research.

Results of the Research

  • The response rates were 36% for Part I and 0.7% for Part II.
  • Research showed that the centers used an average of 9-10 horses and ponies.
  • Selection procedures included initial screening, pre-purchase or pre-donation exams, acclimation periods, trial periods, and some other unmentioned criteria.
  • The longevity of the horses in EAS varied from less than a year to over 20 years. However, most horses worked between 1-10 years depending on the part of the study.

Key Findings

  • Behavior problems accounted for 44% of retirements in the first part of the study, with unsoundness (33%) following.
  • In the second part of the study, unsoundness (physical or health issues preventing the horse from working) was the primary cause of retirement, followed by behavioral issues.
  • Therefore, behavior, soundness, and health were identified as the main factors affecting horse selection and retirement.

Ideas for Future Studies

  • While this study provides valuable insights into how EAS horses are selected and managed, future studies should investigate these issues at a more granular, individual horse level.

Cite This Article

APA
Rankins EM, Wickens CL, McKeever KH, Malinowski K. (2021). A Survey of Horse Selection, Longevity, and Retirement in Equine-Assisted Services in the United States. Animals (Basel), 11(8), 2333. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082333

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 8
PII: 2333

Researcher Affiliations

Rankins, Ellen M
  • Rutgers Equine Science Center, Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
Wickens, Carissa L
  • Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
McKeever, Kenneth H
  • Rutgers Equine Science Center, Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
Malinowski, Karyn
  • Rutgers Equine Science Center, Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Rochais C, Lerch N, Gueguen L, Schmidlin M, Bonamy O, Grandgeorge M, Hausberger M. Horses' Tactile Reactivity Differs According to the Type of Work: The Example of Equine-Assisted Intervention. Vet Sci 2023 Feb 7;10(2).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci10020130pubmed: 36851434google scholar: lookup
  2. Tolnai CH, Forgách P, Marosi A, Fehér O, Paszerbovics B, Tenk M, Wagenhoffer Z, Kutasi O. Long-Term Humoral Immune Response After West Nile Virus Convalescence in Horses in a Geographic Area of Multiple Orthoflavivirus Co-Circulation. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jul-Aug;39(4):e70176.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.70176pubmed: 40525557google scholar: lookup
  3. Matlock SK, Singh A, Grandin T, Merritt T, Nett T, Reega SJ, Peters BC. Behavioral and physiological indicators of stress in horses during an equine-assisted learning program for youth with a history of trauma. Transl Anim Sci 2025;9:txaf027.
    doi: 10.1093/tas/txaf027pubmed: 40191691google scholar: lookup
  4. John KD, Vincent AL, Nieforth LO, Schafroth J. Anthropomorphizing with Critical Reflexivity: The Danger and Potential of Anthropomorphizing in Equine-Facilitated Learning and Psychotherapy. Animals (Basel) 2025 Feb 19;15(4).
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  5. Grandgeorge M, Lerch N, Delarue A, Hausberger M. From Human Perception of Good Practices to Horse (Equus Caballus) Welfare: Example of Equine-Assisted Activities. Animals (Basel) 2024 Sep 2;14(17).
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