The Nguudu Barndimanmanha Project-Improving Social and Emotional Wellbeing in Aboriginal Youth Through Equine Assisted Learning

Abstract

Background: Recent statistics have painted a grim picture for Australia's Aboriginal youth, with reports of higher levels of almost every health indicator, including depression, sexual and emotional abuse, unemployment, and incarceration. Traditional western based therapies have proven to have limited effectiveness in engaging this group as they can often be culturally inappropriate. International studies have provided promising results using equine assisted learning, with a sound methodological basis underpinned by Indigenous ways of being and doing. In Australia Aboriginal people have strong historical ties to horses through their work on stations and were often considered some of the country's best horsemen and women. While equine assisted learning programs exist in Australia there are currently none catering specifically to Aboriginal youth, run and staffed by Aboriginal staff and provided in a culturally secure manner.Aims: Alternative therapy for Aboriginal youth in the areas of grief, loss, and trauma, through an equine assisted learning program that focussed on self-concept, self-regulation, self-awareness, anxiety and depression, and sense of connectedness.Methods: Participants (N = 270) aged 6–25 years old engaged in a minimum of 6-weeks of equine assisted learning. Each session was 45–50 min duration and occurred on a weekly basis. Sessions were undertaken individually, in pairs and in groups, depending on the needs of the participant and the focus of the session goals. Qualitative examination of the participants included photography to capture the lived experiences of the participants throughout the program. In addition an cultural and age appropriate adaptation of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire was trialed to track changes quantitively.Conclusion: We observed improvements in self-regulation, self-awareness, and socialization skills, evident from the photography recording and the questionnaire data. In addition parent and/or caregiver and teacher reported changes in behavior, self-regulation, and socialization skills were recorded.

How Equine-Assisted Activities Affect the Prosocial Behavior of Adolescents

“…It was also found that prosocial behavior became stronger with age, both in the target and control groups, although according to a previous, longitudinal study on adolescents in general, prosocial behavior decreases after mid-adolescence [27]. Other studies, related to EAA, are in line with our results and found that horse-human interactions may promote behavioral development [28][29][30], improve self-awareness and social skills [23], and cause a reduction in antisocial behavior [31]. We strongly believe that the relationship humans build with horses shows them a way to build trust, acceptance, and understanding toward humans, as well.…”

“…We used the 'Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire' to measure the participants' social and emotional competences. It was originally developed for 2-17-year-old children, to identify and explore emotional and behavior problems and psychic disturbances, and has been used before with EAA-related studies [11,12,23]. It embraces a wide spectrum of emotional and social competences and is internationally used, being available in many languages, including Hungarian [24].…”

Use of Equine-Assisted Services to Improve Outcomes Among At-Risk and Indigenous Youth: A Scoping Review

“…Of the 27 studies, 17 (63%) were from the United States [20 records; 63%] ( 34 – 45 , 47 , 48 , 50 – 52 , 56 , 59 , 60 ), four (15% of studies; 13% of records) were from Canada ( 31 , 32 , 49 , 57 ), and six (22%) were from Australia [eight records; 19%] ( 24 , 33 , 46 , 53 – 55 , 58 , 61 ). No records (0%) from New Zealand met the final eligibility criteria.…”

Horses and Gestalt Coaching: A Promising Combination for Life Skills Learning

“…There are a couple of practical reasons why learning and healing in the presence of a horse may be preferred to other methods, for example, there is less stigma associated with Equine-assisted modalities than with traditional talk therapies in certain populations (Lee, Dabelko-Schoeny, Jedlicka, & Burns, 2020), especially when the clients' cultural norms are less accepting of traditional western therapy (Coffin, 2019). A part of the success of EAT is the unconventional setting in which the interactions take place: the out-of-office environment, and the novelty of the process itself for many participants (Ho, Zhou, Fung, & Kua, 2017).…”

“…In combination with classical psychotherapy, not only were decreases in anxiety and depression reported, but also improved regulation of behaviour, cognitive functioning, and positive coping skills (Naste et al, 2018). Interventions involving leadership training and problem-solving skills learning can lead to improvements in communication skills the ability to cope with emotions and stress (Coffin, 2019). Interplay between different areas of LS is shown in another study, where improved thinking flexibility, empathy, and impulsivity control resulted in better academic performance for adolescents (Ho et al, 2017).…”