The state of coursework on horses in human services at universities and colleges in the United States: a scoping review.

The research study investigated the presence and prevalence of coursework involving horses in higher education programs related to human services in the United States. The study focused on how horses were incorporated into these programs, particularly in areas such as therapeutic riding, human health services, psychotherapy, education, and physical therapy.

Research Methodology

• The researchers gathered information for the academic year 2021-2022, looking at colleges and universities across the United States that offered any coursework involving horses and their use in human service.
• The collected information included the names of the institutions, their geographical locations, the number of related courses, their specific focus, the academic department offering the course, and the level of study.
• This study serves as a replication of a similar study conducted in 2018 to track the development over time.

Research Findings

• The study identified a total of 122 courses offered by 48 higher educational institutions in 29 states that incorporated horses in a human service capacity.
• Out of the total courses identified, 82 (67.2%) were focused on adaptive or therapeutic riding, a therapeutic process that uses horseback riding to improve the physical and mental health of individuals.
• Nineteen courses (15.6%) dealt with mental health, while two courses (1.6%) were focused on education or learning. Only one course (0.8%) was found to be centered around hippotherapy, which is the use of horse movement in physical, occupational, and speech-language therapies.
• Eighteen courses (14.8%) were broad survey or overview courses.
• The courses were mostly offered at an undergraduate level, making up 114 (93.4%) out of the total, while 8 courses (6.6%) were at a graduate level.
• These courses were predominantly offered by 48 departments within the institutions, with over half (27 or 54%) focusing on animal-related areas such as equine science, animal science, and agriculture. The remaining departments (23 or 46%) were focused on human-related areas such as health science or liberal arts.

Implications and Discussions

• The findings of the study contribute to the understanding of the current prevalence and focus of coursework involving horses in human service areas at the university and college level in the United States.
• It highlights the growth in such programs since the 2018 study and provides context for future academic program development.
• Challenges and opportunities for these programs can also be outlined based on the study’s results, prompting further development and discussions for academics in this field.