The Horse as a Therapist: Effects of an Equine Program Without “Therapy” on the Attention and Behavior of Youth Disengaged from Traditional School

Abstract

Background: Equine-assisted therapy may promote positive behavior change in young people ''at risk.'' However, it is not always clear what therapeutic content is involved and if a trained therapist is included. The therapeutic effects of the key part of the ''therapy,'' the horse, are not understood.Objectives: To investigate the impact of an equine program without a therapist on attention and behavioral outcomes of young people ''at risk.'' Design: A within subjects pre-post design. A small sample also completed a control period.Setting/location: A small riding center in a rural area of outer Brisbane, Australia. Subjects: Twelve-to 17-year olds (N = 50; 20 girls; mean age 13.88), attending nontraditional flexischool.Intervention: A 5-week program of 2-h long sessions of equine activities that did not include a trained therapist or specific therapeutic content.Outcome measures: Teacher-report measures of externalizing and internalizing behavior were reported before and after the program through the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).Results: A paired samples t test resulted in the statistically significant reduction of the BRIEF Global Executive Score between pre and post participation in the equine program (mean difference = -5.89), t(36) = -3.377, p = 0.002 and the SDQ Hyperactivity score (mean difference = -0.727), t(43) = -2.244, p = 0.030. Equine activities may reverse a trajectory of worsening problems. This may especially affect symptoms related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Conclusion: Equine programs may offer an alternative method to reduce poor behavior and improve attention in young people. Benefits in attention may occur even without specific therapeutic content or therapist involvement. It is proposed that some of these benefits come directly from the horse and the interactions with the horse; others are contextual.

Improvement of Self-Esteem in Children with Specific Learning Disorders after Donkey-Assisted Therapy

“…Social functioning seems to benefit from the children–animal contact as well as executive abilities [ 58 ]. Specific reference is made to animal contact because, occasionally, this in itself has been shown to improve the individual’s behavior, executive function, sustained attention, working memory and probably even emotional control [ 59 ]. Another aspect of the equines that can elicit a positive change in patients is its movement.…”

Can Interacting with Animals Improve Executive Functions? A Systematic Review

“…Most of the reviewed studies involved horses and took place at a riding centre ( n = 8, 61.5%). Excluding Norwood et al [ 70 ] and Schroeder [ 69 ], 6 of the studies were designed to address specific therapeutic goals, such as improving social and communication skills, and self-regulation skills. Four studies (30.8%) incorporated a dog, with settings including schools ( n = 2, 50.0%), a university campus ( n = 1, 25.0%), and a clinic ( n = 1, 25.0%).…”

“…A common limitation was the absence of a control condition. Norwood et al [ 70 ] attempted to address this by testing a smaller subset of the participants six weeks prior to the program commencing, allowing participants to act as their own control across three time points (T0-T1-T2). The study by Schroeder [ 69 ] was the only study to include a traditional control condition; however, some of the participants in the experimental condition were already participating in horseback riding.…”

“…For research examining improvements to children’s EFs across time, several studies suggested that horseback riding improved EFs, including inhibition, WM, monitoring, and planning skills [ 70 , 74 , 77 , 78 ]. This supports previous research that found that horseback riding and equine-assisted therapy can improve self-regulatory behaviours, with a previous review suggesting improvements in hyperactivity, irritability, and task engagement in autistic children and adolescents [ 82 ].…”

“…The research on therapeutic programs incorporating a dog was less consistent; in one study, participants with a poorer baseline demonstrated significant improvements in EFs [ 79 ], while two studies found no significant differences [ 71 , 76 ]. Interestingly, most of the studies that reported improvements in EFs were longer-term programs, taking place over more than seven weeks [ 70 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 77 , 78 ], while a six-week program [ 72 ] and a four-week program [ 76 ] reported mixed and no significant findings, respectively.…”