A systematic review of the efficacy of equine-assisted interventions on psychological outcomes

Abstract

Much research attests to the beneficial effects of equine interventions on physical development and ability. However, less is known about the possible psychological benefits of horse activities, such as therapeutic riding or interactions with horses. Although there is public consensus that horses can have psychological benefits, it is an under-researched area and conclusions are largely based on anecdotal data. The little empirical evidence that is available about the efficacy of equine-assisted interventions on psychological outcomes tends to be mixed and is often difficult to interpret due to the lack of rigorous research designs. The purpose of this review was to examine the current state of the literature regarding the psychological effects of equine-assisted interventions, and to make recommendations for future research. Findings from this review suggest that equine-assisted interventions hold much promise, particularly in terms of child/adolescent social and behavioural issues, and perhaps adult affective disorders. However, the current state of the literature does not allow us to definitively conclude that equine-assisted interventions are efficacious. Well-designed randomised controlled trials are greatly needed in this area, as it is an appreciation of the need to standardise and document equine-assisted interventions and outcomes in future research.Viele Studien bestätigen die positiven Effekte pferdgestützter Interventionen auf körperliche Entwicklung und Motorik. Bislang gibt es jedoch wenige Informationen darüber, wie sich die Beschäftigung mit Pferden, etwa über das therapeutische Reiten oder einfacheren Interaktionen, psychologisch auf die Klienten auswirkt. Trotz eines gewissen öffentlichen Konsenses zu den positiven Effekten von Pferden, ist dieses Feld bislang mehr oder weniger unerforscht und basiert in den meisten Fällen lediglich auf

Animal‐assisted psychotherapy for young people with behavioural problems in residential care

“…AAP can be considered a specific form of AAT. Several meta‐analyses (Nimer & Lundahl, ; Souter & Miller, ) and systematic reviews (Kamioka et al, ; Kendall et al, ; Maujean, Pepping, & Kendall, ; Rossetti & King, ) have concluded that AAT is a valuable resource in the field of clinical psychology and psychiatry. More specifically, evidence from randomized controlled trials indicates that AAT has a positive effect on a wide range of psychological and social factors in patients with psychological disorders (Maujean et al, ).…”

Efeitos da Terapia Assistida por Animais na Qualidade de Vida de Idosos: uma Revisão Sistemática

“…Nessas buscas, não foram encontrados estudos especificamente sobre a temática. Contudo, vale ressaltar que estão disponíveis nessa base de dados uma revisão sistemática sobre a eficácia da terapia assistida por animais (Kamioka et al, 2014) e outra sobre a eficácia da equoterapia (Kendall et al, 2015), respectivamente. No entanto, nenhuma das duas abordava a questão da qualidade de vida em idosos.…”

Emotional Transfer in Human–Horse Interaction: New Perspectives on Equine Assisted Interventions

“…In particular, equine assisted therapies (EATs) are often integrated in traditional therapeutic plans for individuals with mental and physical disabilities [6][7][8]. Even though their efficacy has not been completely proved yet, some authors claim social, emotional, physical, and educational benefits for several categories of patients experiencing therapy with horses [9][10][11][12][13][14]. For instance, EAIs seem to stimulate multiple domains of functioning handling emotional, cognitive, motor, and social disabilities with or without actual riding activity [15].…”