Practitioner Experiences of the Death of an Equine in an Equine-Assisted Services Program.

This research focuses on the psychological and practical impacts experienced by equine-assisted service practitioners upon the death of a horse used in their program.

Objective of the Study

• The objective of this study was to investigate the personal experiences and emotional processing practitioners go through when a horse dies within the context of an equine-assisted services (EAS) program. This study aimed to understand how these practitioners cope with the death and what practical measures they take to navigate the situation.

Methodology

• An online survey was used to gather information from EAS professionals, and open-ended responses (receiving 84 in total) were analyzed using a grounded theory and constant comparative approach.

Findings

• The responses from participants were grouped into two categories: ‘Processing the death of an equine’ and ‘Practical implications.’
• When it comes to the processing of the death of a horse, the responses were linked to Worden’s Four Tasks of Mourning. This model, generally used to explain the mourning process after human death, can also be applied to animal death. It was evident in practitioners’ descriptions of their experience with the death of a horse, with stages of mourning similar to those associated with humans.
• For the ‘Practical implications,’ responses were focused more on practical actions that could be taken by EAS practitioners to anticipate and manage the death of a horse in their program. These were typically related to ensuring that the death did not significantly disrupt the EAS program or negatively impact its clients.

Outcome and Implication of the Study

• Overall, the study illuminated the emotional and practical challenges practitioners face when a horse within their EAS program dies. It also suggested that coping mechanisms for human mourning could also be applicable to situations involving the death of animals.