Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies: State-of-the-Art Review

The purpose of this paper is to explore what is known about equine-assisted activities and therapies based on Roy’s adaptation model. Quality of life for vulnerable populations who engage with equine-assisted activities and therapies is considered the main concept here. This state-of-the-art review was conducted from four databases ranging from January 2019 to February 2020. Limited studies examined the effect of equine-assisted activities and therapies on cancer survivors, although preliminary data were promising. The rural context was not extensively examined. Thus, equine-assisted activities and therapies may enhance the quality of life through four adaptation modes.

Pilot Study of the Influence of Equine Assisted Therapy on Physiological and Behavioral Parameters Related to Welfare of Horses and Patients

Different welfare indicators were studied in three patients with psychomotor alterations and in two horses throughout 9–10 equine assisted therapy sessions in each patient. In horses, heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure, temperature and behavioral signs were studied. In patients, heart rate, oxygen saturation, temperature, sleep quality, psychomotor and emotional parameters were analyzed. Data collection was recorded in the anticipatory phase (15 min before the start of the session), two interaction phases (after 30 min of horse-patient interaction on the ground and on horseback, respectively) and the recovery phase (15 min after the end of the session). During the anticipatory phase, most of physiological parameters of patients and horses and the stress behavioral signs of horses increased, followed by a relaxing phase during the horse-patient interaction on the ground. In horse-patient riding phase the heart and respiratory rates of the horses again increased. These results showed that the horses did not seem to suffer stress attributable to the therapy sessions, but only an increase in their parameters associated with activity and external stimuli. The patients improved their gross and fine motor skills, their cognitive and perceptual-sensitive parameters and it led to an improvement in the life quality of their families.

Australian Community and Health Professionals Perceptions of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Mental health conditions are increasingly prevalent in the Australian population, and despite the large evidence-based support for contemporary treatments, there are barriers which inhibit their efficacy. Thus, there is a perceived need for therapists to consider other therapeutic options which have potential to enhance treatment outcomes. There is increasing acceptance for complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) among general practitioners and clients/general community. Specifically, more than 70% of Australians utilize CAM. Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is an underutilized, culturally sensitive, complementary therapy, which has the potential to mitigate barriers of conventional therapy. The present study aimed to determine the level of knowledge about and general acceptance of EAP as a treatment for general psychopathology symptomology within community members and health professionals. The current sample included 144 community members and 55 health professionals, all with Australian citizenship. Data analysis comprised the independent t-test and two hierarchical multiple regressions. Results indicated that community members are significantly more accepting of EAP as a treatment compared to health professionals. Of the predictors tested, higher social support and openness within community members were significant predictors of accepting perceptions, and rural location was the only significant predictor for health professional’s accepting perceptions of EAP. This is one of the first studies to investigate perceptions of EAP outside the EAP field and through comparison between community members and health professionals. The current study identifies the need for future research to further investigate perceptions of EAP among Australian health professionals.

Safety Considerations of Adaptive Horseback Riding Program for Adults With Dementia and Their Families

Human-animal interactions, including equine-assisted services, are becoming increasingly popular to enhance the quality of life of adults with dementia and their families. However, there is a lack of knowledge on safety considerations when serving this population. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the safety perspectives of key stakeholders involved in an adaptive horseback riding program for adults with dementia and their families. Ten, 30-minute semi-structured interviews and two, 60-minute focus groups were conducted with horseback riding program instructors and staff, dementia specialists, and adults with dementia and their families. Thematic analysis of data were guided by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International’s Core Safety Standards and completed using NVivo 12. Stakeholders described two central themes to consider when offering equine-assisted services at therapeutic horseback riding centers to adults with dementia and their families 1) dementia and horse training parameters, and 2) enrollment procedures. Stakeholders recommended that training should encompass “how to interact and communicate in a positive way with the adult with dementia…redirect if a behavior comes up”, and horses should be specially selected to “tolerate standing in a ramp during a difficult mount”. Stakeholders also shared that enrollment in the program should include learning the adult’s health and prior horse experience, precautions and contraindications, horseback riding readiness, and availability of and support from family. Information gleaned from this study may help researchers, instructors, and staff develop policies that demonstrate optimal safety practices when delivering equine-assisted services to adults with dementia and their families.

Impact of Equine-Assisted Interventions on Heart Rate Variability in Two Participants with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: A Pilot Study

People with disabilities due to genetic origin often present high levels of stress: non-pharmacological interventions such as Equine-Assisted Interventions (EAI) may be a useful strategy. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate stress levels in two participants with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome diagnosis, immediately after carrying out the EAI. A single case experimental design methodology was chosen due to the small sample size. Two participants with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, a rare disease, with different comorbidities were included. The present study considered the EAI as the independent variable while the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) represented the dependent one, as HRV is considered an indicator of stress level. Measurements were performed before and after carrying out the interventions. The results showed an HRV increase in one of the participants and an increase in the arousal level evidenced by a decrease in his HRV. After having carried out the program, EAI seems to cause an impact on the activation level of the participants depending on the typology and nature of the intervention. However, these results should be treated with caution due to the small sample size. This study is a pilot to test the feasibility of the proposed interventions on the variable under study.

Evaluation of a Modified Bit Device to Obtain Saliva Samples from Horses

(1) Background: Accounting for the well-being of equine partners is a responsibility of those engaged in Equine-Assisted Services (EAS). Researchers took heed of this call to action by developing an innovative way to collect data to assess the physiological indicators of stress in equine participants. The collection of saliva is considered to be a minimally invasive method of data collection and is typically performed using a cotton swab; however, in equines, the introduction of a foreign object may induce stress; (2) Methods: Researchers used a modified bit to collect pooled saliva in an effort to further reduce stress during the saliva collection process. Additionally, the collection of pooled saliva, via the bit, increases the opportunity to consider additional analyses, such as oxytocin, which is more reliable in pooled saliva than site-specific saliva captured with a swab; (3) Results: A data analysis demonstrated that ample saliva was captured using the modified bit. Observational data supported that the horses demonstrated fewer physical stress signals to the bit than to the swab. Thus, the modified bit is a feasible and valid method for equine salivary sample collection; (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that the modified bit provides a viable method to collect equine saliva and supports national calls to prioritize animal welfare analysis, specifically for horses used within EAS. Future research should enhance methodological rigor, including in the process and timing, thereby contributing to the bit’s validation.

PSXV-15 Application of a survey instrument for understanding pain management practices associated with equine assisted activities and therapy horses

Equine assisted activities and therapy (EAAT) is a popular therapy option for physical, psychological, and cognitive disorders. A critical component of this treatment option is the horse, and while research has reported the benefits for human participants, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the therapy horse due to limited research documenting the impact of these activities. Nevertheless, those that manage these animals understand the demanding activities placed on the therapy horse, and thus, can play a vital role in educating those new to the industry. Therefore, the objective of this study was to utilize a survey instrument to document management activities associated with pain for the therapy horse. An 11 forced-choice question survey was developed and sent out to 97 EAAT programs within the U.S. Participation was available online for a total of four months. Response rate was 31% (n = 30). From the respondents, 50% answered +46 yrs old for age, 70% answered +15 yrs equine experience, and 60% answered +11 yrs working in EAAT. The most popular answer for number of horses in the respondents’ EAAT program was >11 horses (53%), and as to the horses in the program, 50% answered they had >7 geriatric horses. The majority of the respondents answered “definitely yes” to having functionally lame horses used regularly in their programs (53%) and having experience with pain management practices associated with orthopedic (50%) and gastrointestinal (67%) conditions. The majority of the programs used vital sign measurements (67%), facial expressions (73%), and behavioral changes (87%) to detect equine pain. In conclusion, EAAT horses appear to commonly need healthcare practices for pain management suggesting further research is needed in precision medicine and animal welfare. In addition, educational programs covering pain management practices for individuals going into the EAAT industry would assist in ensuring the welfare of these animals.

PSXV-20 Pilot Study: How does horse and rider vital signs respond to participation in an equine assisted psychotherapy and learning outpatient collegiate substance use recovery program?

While research supporting the psychological benefits of equine assisted psychotherapy and learning (EAPL) is expanding, little is known about the physiological impact this therapy has on the human and horse. The physical activity for younger adults may hold promise where other therapies have failed, but can this form of exercise therapy be physically demanding on the participant? Therefore, the objective of this study was to measure physiological responses of horse and human for those participating in an EAPL outpatient collegiate recovery program for substance use disorder (SUD). This pilot study assessed humans (n = 4) and horses (n = 5) participating in a collegiate recovery community EAPL SUD program. The six-week program included riding and ground activities for 1 hr/wk. Vital signs (heart and respiratory rates and pain rating) were recorded weekly at the beginning and end of each session. Human pain rating used the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale and equines used the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP). T-tests were performed comparing measurements at the beginning and end of each session (P = 0.05). Pearson Correlations were used to determine relationships between human and horse vital signs. While no changes were seen in human heart rate, a significant decrease in respiratory rates and pain scores was found by the end of the session (Table 1). Horse heart and respiratory rates and EQUUS-FAP scores increased. A moderate correlation was determined for human and horse respiration rates (r=0.65, P = 0.00). Correlations became weaker when evaluating the other vital signs (Heart Rates: r=0.54, P = 0.00; Pain Rating Scores: r=0.27, P = 0.17). While relationships between horse and human vital signs were limited, it is important to note the differences in how the two physiologically respond to EAPL suggesting further research beyond this pilot study may be needed to investigate the physical demand of EAPL on the horse.