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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2019; 9(6); 303; doi: 10.3390/ani9060303

An Exploration of the Mechanism of Action of an Equine-Assisted Intervention.

Abstract: Though long alluded to, there is now an accumulation of evidence of the vital contribution that emotion makes to learning. Within this broad advance in understanding is a growing body of research emphasising the embodied nature of this emotion-based learning. The study presented here is a pilot study using a mixed-method approach (combining both physiological and experiential methodologies) to give a picture of the "emotional landscape" of people's learning through the intervention under study. This has allowed researchers to examine mediating pathways that may underlie any effects of an equine-assisted intervention. This study specifically focuses on examining the role of emotion. The intervention under study was used with young people with chronic mental health and behavioural problems for whom talk-based interventions were not working. Nine healthy participants aged 18-24 undertook the equine intervention, with an initial group having emotion-related psycho-physiological changes (skin conductance responses) measured while viewing their experience on video, and a further two participants experiencing a development of the methodology as their physiological responses were captured in real time during the intervention. The sessions were analysed by a group of five cross-disciplinary researchers to determine when significant learning episodes occurred, and the findings were that this learning was associated with powerful skin conductance responses. The qualitative element of the research entailed the participants watching themselves on video undertaking the equine intervention. They were asked to stop the video and share any changes in emotion at any point while watching. All participants experienced a positive temporal change in mood as the intervention progressed. All results supported the findings that emotional arousal occurred in relation to the participants asking the horse to perform a task. This paper will offer two novel contributions: (1) description of a new methodology for investigating the mechanism of action occurring in this type of intervention and (2) findings from the exploration of the intervention via psycho-physiological and experiential mechanisms.
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Publication Date: 2019-05-31 PubMed ID: 31159199PubMed Central: PMC6616398DOI: 10.3390/ani9060303Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

This research explores the beneficial effects of equine-assisted intervention on young individuals with chronic mental health and behavioural problems, emphasizing the significant role of emotions in this learning process. It introduces novel methods for investigating the mechanism of this intervention type and its experiential and psycho-physiological aspects.

Study Context and Methodology

  • Recognising the importance of emotions in the learning process, this pilot study uses a mixed-method approach to understand the “emotional landscape” of this learning process during an equine-assisted intervention.
  • The study group comprises nine healthy participants aged between 18-24 who had chronic mental health and behavioural challenges. These young individuals were unresponsive to talk-based interventions, underscoring the need for alternative approaches such as the equine-assisted intervention.
  • Physiological and experiential responses were measured during this intervention. Initially, participants had their physiological changes (skin conductance responses indicating emotional arousal) measured while watching their interaction with horses on video. The technique was then advanced for a subset of two participants whose responses were tracked in real-time during the interaction.

Analysis and Findings

  • The intervention’s impact was analysed by a team of five cross-disciplinary researchers. They identified significant learning periods, linking these largely to powerful skin conductance responses.
  • The qualitative part of the study involved participants watching videos of their interactions with the horses and discussing emotion changes at any point during the viewing.
  • It was observed that all participants experienced a positive shift in mood as the intervention progressed. In particular, emotional arousal was noticed when the participants instructed the horse to carry out a task.
  • The findings support the idea that equine-assisted interventions can foster and capitalize on emotional arousal to aid learning, particularly for individuals who otherwise struggle with conventional talk-based therapies. This corroborates the existing literature on the ’embodied’ nature of emotion-based learning.

Novel Contributions

  • The research introduces a new methodology for exploring the mechanism of action in equine-assisted intervention, combining real-time physiological measurement with after-the-fact qualitative self-assessment.
  • Furthermore, it presents findings from this exploration, demonstrating how psycho-physiological and experiential aspects lead to effective learning through equine-assisted intervention, particularly in those with chronic mental health and behavioural issues.

Cite This Article

APA
Hemingway A, Carter S, Callaway A, Kavanagh E, Ellis S. (2019). An Exploration of the Mechanism of Action of an Equine-Assisted Intervention. Animals (Basel), 9(6), 303. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9060303

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 6
PII: 303

Researcher Affiliations

Hemingway, Ann
  • Department of Medical Sciences & Public Health, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK. ahemingway@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Carter, Sid
  • Department of Social Sciences & Social Work, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK. scarter@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Callaway, Andrew
  • Department of Sports & Physical Activity, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK. acallaway@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Kavanagh, Emma
  • Department of Sports & Physical Activity, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK. ekavanagh@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Ellis, Shelley
  • Department of Sports & Physical Activity, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK. sellis@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that there were no conflicts of interest in the undertaking of this research or publication of this paper.

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
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