Animal-assisted intervention, including therapeutic horseback riding, is designed to promote improvement in a person's physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning and is directed or delivered by a practitioner with specialized expertise. Although there is abundant research on the benefits of therapeutic horseback riding to human participants, there is little information regarding effects on horses involved in such programs.
Therefore, the goal of a recent research project, conducted by researchers in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, was to gather data regarding horse use and care in Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) affiliated therapeutic horseback riding programs in the United States to help establish a foundation for a standard of care.
A 20-question survey sent to 659 PATH Intl. affiliated therapeutic horseback riding programs returned a 40 percent response rate. Demographics demonstrated that the average number of horses in each program was 10; geldings outnumbered mares; most horses were between 16 and 20 years of age; and Quarter Horse or stock-type breeds predominated.
The average session length was 8 weeks and the average lesson length was 45 minutes. Horses were typically ridden by clients 4 days each week and 2 hours each day. Most horses were donated to the programs, participated for approximately 7 years, and left because of aging. Limb lameness and back soreness were the top health issues noted, with only a small percentage of colic and ulcers reported. More horses received nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) for a lameness issue, chiropractic adjustment, and massage than any other supplemental care or complementary therapy.
Based on data gathered in this survey, therapeutic horseback riding horses were not worked excessively. Horses were ridden less than PATH Intl.'s maximum recommendation of 6 hours each day and 6 days each week. Horses in therapeutic horseback riding programs also appeared to have fewer reported health issues as compared with data in other national reports. The abstract is available here.
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