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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2024; 14(2); 347; doi: 10.3390/ani14020347

An Exploratory Study into the Backgrounds and Perspectives of Equine-Assisted Service Practitioners.

Abstract: Equine-Assisted Services (EASs) are commonplace in today's society, but vary widely in both theoretical and practical applications. Until now, practitioners' experiences and perspectives in relation to these services have received little attention. To address this, a purpose-designed online questionnaire was distributed to EAS practitioners, exploring issues relating to the nature of the service provided, practice patterns, practitioner education, perceived knowledge, challenges faced and the future direction of these services. An analysis revealed a significant association between practitioners' backgrounds and the nature of the service offered, as well as perceived knowledge. Median EAS training received to first practice was 20 days of block release over a year; however, nearly half of the sample (42.4%) reported less training than this. Equine-specific training was more limited, with 41.5% of practitioners having no horse-relevant qualifications. The most important challenges reported by practitioners involved client and equine welfare, financial sustainability and raising awareness of EAS. This research highlights the diverse nature of EAS and also raises important challenges and possible opportunities for development. Findings suggest that more progress is needed to professionalise and legitimise the area to support and help practitioners provide the best service for all concerned.
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Publication Date: 2024-01-22 PubMed ID: 38275806PubMed Central: PMC10812823DOI: 10.3390/ani14020347Google 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.

The research article discusses an exploratory study of the backgrounds and perspectives of practitioners who provide Equine-Assisted Services (EASs). It highlights the diversity and challenges within EAS, placing an emphasis on the need for further professional development within the field.

Study Design

  • The aim of the study was to gain a better understanding of the practitioners’ perspective of EAS, the nature of services offered, their education, perceived knowledge, and the challenges they face.
  • To acquire this data, an online questionnaire was created and distributed to different EASs practitioners.

Findings

  • An important finding in this study was the significant relationship between the practitioners’ backgrounds and the EAS they provide, as well as their perceived knowledge of the field.
  • It was discovered that the average EAS training previous to initial practice was 20 days of release over a year. Nonetheless, there was variance in this finding as around 42.4% of the practitioners reported having less training.
  • In terms of qualifications, it was found that 41.5% of practitioners had none relevant to handling horses.

Challenges Confronted by Practitioners

  • Some of the main challenges that practitioners face include the welfare of clients and equines, financial sustainability, and raising awareness and understanding of EAS.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The research identifies the diverse nature of services in the EAS domain. It also spots serious challenges and suggests opportunities for development.
  • The study concludes that there is a need for more progress to professionalise and legitimise EAS to assist the practitioners in providing better services. This advancement could range from developing comprehensive training programs to creating better awareness about EAS.

Cite This Article

APA
Seery R, Wells D. (2024). An Exploratory Study into the Backgrounds and Perspectives of Equine-Assisted Service Practitioners. Animals (Basel), 14(2), 347. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14020347

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 2
PII: 347

Researcher Affiliations

Seery, Rita
  • Animal Behaviour Centre, School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK.
Wells, Deborah
  • Animal Behaviour Centre, School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK.

Grant Funding

  • None / DAERA Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland)

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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