Awareness on Equine Therapy amongst Horse Riders

Abstract

Equine therapy refers to the use of equine-assisted activities to improve mental and physical well-being and therefore help individuals manage mental and/or physical disorders. Past literature explores the use of equine therapy in improving overall prosocial behaviour, mood, awareness, and self-esteem, especially in treating disorders including stress disorders, eating disorders, substance-use disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and cerebral palsy. However, there is a lack of research on awareness regarding equine therapy. Therefore, the present study aims to understand the awareness of equine therapy amongst professional and amateur horse riders in India. A self-constructed survey was carried out amongst 26 respondents of an age group of primarily 8 to 16-year-olds, whose horse riding experience ranges from approximately less than 1 year to around 4 years. Survey responses showed a mean awareness score of 28.92 (wherein maximum possible score = 40), showing that participants were aware of the term. However, it was seen that 38.46 percent of respondents reported that they had not heard of equine therapy prior to the survey, and follow-up questions showed inaccuracy in their belief of what equine therapy is, even if they had heard the term before. Therefore, despite the sample’s association with equine-related activity, they remain unaware of what exactly equine therapy is. Understanding the variety of benefits associated with equine therapy can allow individuals to better understand its importance and relevance, improving awareness for this effective line of treatment and giving reason to bolster attempts to make equine therapy more accessible/viable to all who may benefit.