Search

While psychotherapy incorporating equine interaction (PIE) has proven to be a viable therapeutic intervention, it is not a common mental health service found on college campuses. Nevertheless, with the rise of mental health challenges on campuses after the COVID-19 pandemic, a need for effective therapeutic solutions is warranted. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of a collegiate recovery community (CRC) PIE program for substance abuse disorder (SUD) compared to that of traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and to determine whether physiological synchronization occurs between the human and horse during the therapy process. College-aged adults were recruited during the COVID-19 pandemic for two types of short-term SUD therapeutic interventions, CRC-PIE and CBT. Both groups completed a self-reporting survey assessing emotional safety. Vital signs measurements for human and horse participants within the CRC-PIE were collected prior to and after the first and last therapeutic sessions. Results concluded that although emotional safety did not improve significantly for PIE participants by the last therapy session (p = 0.85), emotional safety scores were significantly different between therapy types, with lower post-therapy scores for PIE (p = 0.04). As for physiological measures for PIE participants, respiratory rates (Human: p = 0.01; Horse: p = 0.01) and pain rating scores (Human: p = 0.03; Horse: p = 0.01) significantly decreased post-therapy and a strong positive correlation (R = 0.73, R2 = 0.53) associated with vital signs was observed between humans and horses. This human–horse physiological synchronization during the therapeutic intervention suggests that the horse may be a viable tool within campus CRC programs for the development of therapeutic alliances within the therapy process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]