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Home / Equine Research Bank / Anthropol Med / ‘It just opens up their world’: autism, empathy,...
Anthropology & medicine2017; 25(2); 220-234; doi: 10.1080/13648470.2017.1291115

‘It just opens up their world’: autism, empathy, and the therapeutic effects of equine interactions.

Abstract: Experiences of autism-spectrum disorder are now increasingly studied by social scientists. Human-animal relations have also become a major focus of social inquiry in recent years. Examining horse-assisted therapy for autistic spectrum disorders, this is the first paper that brings these fields together. Drawing on participant observation and interviews at a UK horse therapy Centre, this article examines how staff and the parents of riders account for the successes and limitations of equine therapy. To the respondents, horses 'open up' autistic children and make possible interactions that seemed impossible before. Horses were regarded as facilitating the emergence of apparently social behaviours, which included eye contact, pointing, and speech. Three key explanations emerged for therapeutic success: the sensorial, embodied experience of riding the horse; the specific movements and rhythms of the horse; and, the 'personality' of the horse. Equine therapy can be regarded as enabling a form of multispecies intersubjectivity, with the resonance between rider and horse seeming to make possible a new attunement between humans. Practices of equine therapy, and perceptions of its efficacy, serve in turn to attune social scientists to a version of empathy constituted through lively and sensorial interactions, as opposed to one that is restricted to particular kinds of humans.
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Publication Date: 2017-05-17 PubMed ID: 28513182PubMed Central: PMC6199690DOI: 10.1080/13648470.2017.1291115Google 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 article explores the therapeutic effects of horse-assisted therapy on individuals with autism-spectrum disorder, detailing how interactions with horses can open up new channels of social behavior and engagement that were previously unattainable.

Understanding the Research Scope

  • The study focuses on people experiencing autism-spectrum disorder and horse-assisted therapy, melding two areas of research that have gained attention among social scientists: human-animal relations and experiences of autism.
  • The research draws upon live observation and interviews conducted at a horse therapy center in the UK.
  • A closer look is given to how staff and parents of riders evaluate the achievements and boundaries of equine therapy.

Ongoing Findings and Observations

  • The respondents observed that horses ‘open up’ autistic children, enabling interactions that seemed improbable before.
  • The horses were seen as triggers that aid in the emergence of seemingly social behaviors—including eye contact, pointing, and speech.
  • The study pinpoints three main reasons for the therapy’s success: a sensory and physical riding experience, specific movements and rhythms of the horse, and the ‘personality’ of the horse.

Equine Therapy as Multispecies Intersubjectivity

  • The study also interprets equine therapy as a method that encourages multispecies intersubjectivity, where the connection between rider and horse appears to foster a new harmony between humans.
  • This resonance created between the participants opens new paths for social scientists to understand a version of empathy founded on lively and sensory interactions, as opposed to being restricted to specific types of humans alone.

Concluding Insights and Future Applications

  • The research’s findings break new ground in understanding the therapeutic potential of horse-assisted therapy for individuals suffering from autism-spectrum disorders.
  • Not only could these insights influence improved therapy practices, but they also contribute to broader discourses in social sciences, acknowledging the empathic capacities of non-human species.
  • In the future, this exploration can guide strategies in therapeutic practices and interventions for autism and further challenge and expand our understanding of empathy and social behavior.

Cite This Article

APA
Malcolm R, Ecks S, Pickersgill M. (2017). ‘It just opens up their world’: autism, empathy, and the therapeutic effects of equine interactions. Anthropol Med, 25(2), 220-234. https://doi.org/10.1080/13648470.2017.1291115

Publication

Anthropology & medicine
ISSN: 1469-2910
NlmUniqueID: 9709920
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 25
Issue: 2
Pages: 220-234

Researcher Affiliations

Malcolm, Roslyn
  • a Department of Social Anthropology , University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh EH8 9LD , United Kingdom.
Ecks, Stefan
  • b Department of Anthropology , University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , United Kingdom.
Pickersgill, Martyn
  • c Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics, Edinburgh Medical School , University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh EH8 9AG , United Kingdom.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Anthropology, Medical
  • Autistic Disorder / psychology
  • Autistic Disorder / therapy
  • Child
  • Empathy
  • Equine-Assisted Therapy
  • Horses
  • Humans

Grant Funding

  • 106612/Z/14/Z / Wellcome Trust
  • G0700704 / Medical Research Council
  • MR/K026992/1 / Medical Research Council

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Citations

This article has been cited 10 times.
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