The aim of this proposed study is to explore whether participation in a three day intervention involving horseback riding in nature– a program specifically designed for autistic children and their families called “Horse Boy Camps” – leads to improved outcomes for participants. It is hypothesized that children will demonstrate significant increases in language and communication skills after camp participation, as well as enhanced social, cognitive and sensory functioning. It is also hypothesized that attendance at a Horse Boy Camp will have an impact on the parents and siblings of the child with autism. Specifically, it is anticipated that camp participation will significantly decrease the anxiety, stress, depression and social isolation experienced by parents. It will also result in significant improvements in the relationship between the autistic and their siblings as well as family functioning in general. Participants will include 20 families attending a three-day Horse Boy Camp. There will be one autistic child per family who attends the camp, and at least one parent. The proposed study will help determine if Horse Boy Camps appear to be a promising intervention for children with autism and their families. / text

Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka deltagares upplevelser av och tankar kring hästunderstödd terapi. Utifrån detta studerar vi hur hästunderstödd terapi är en del av socialt arbete. Detta har vi undersökt utifrån följande frågeställningar: ”Hur talar deltagarna om hästens roll och betydelse i den hästunderstödda terapin?”, ”Hur beskriver deltagarna att hästens närvaro påverkar deras färdigheter och känslor?” och ”Hur upplever deltagarna hästunderstödd terapi som behandlingsmetod?” Studiens empiri härrör från intervjuer med fem deltagare i hästunderstödd terapi. Vi har gjort en kvalitativ studie med semistrukturerade intervjuer som metod för insamling av data. Till analysen har vi utgått från en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet behandlar deltagarnas beskrivning av känslor och färdigheter som härrör från behandlingen samt deltagarnas syn på hästunderstödd terapi som behandling. I slutsatsen fastslår vi, utifrån empiri och tidigare studier, att hästunderstödd terapi finner relevans i socialt arbete. Denna behandlingsform bidrar på ett konstruktivt sätt till alliansskapande och motivationsarbete samt ger en känsla av empowerment och medveten närvaro hos deltagarna. Vi har sett att hästunderstödd terapi verkar hälsofrämjande på ett kognitivt, emotionellt och socialt plan.

Equine Assisted Activities and Therapy (EAA/T) is a non-invasive treatment modality recommended by the medical and educational community for a subset of challenged children and adults. As its popularity increases, so too are the concerns among stakeholders and the medical and educational professions about its legitimacy as a treatment modality. The main concern being that EAA/T practitioners have not acquired the professional skills required and that the EAA/T treatment programmes are not evidence-based. The central question of this research focused on identifying Equine Assisted Activities and or Therapy (EAA/T) and creating an optimal learning curricula and more practical experience for future practitioners. In order to explore these issues an extensive multi-method research study was conducted to identify gaps in EAA/T curricula, which included a review of empirical data and different curriculum models. The Delphi Method (DM), a robust, qualitative, naturalistic, systematic and interactive research method was used to support the research. Part of the DM required an analysis of data, adaptation of issues and amendments to questions culminating in a collective consensus among EAA/T experts. The key research findings suggested that current training programmes use curricula with significant gaps resulting in poor professional knowledge formation, a lack of experiential learning, insufficient knowledge of equestrianism and an inability to use pedagogic paradigms. Other findings showed that curricula being used were not being built as an application of sound theoretical principles but rather, transmitted in a manner that does not motivate active and meaningful learning or promote the best practical experience. As a consequence, national organisations and academies dedicated to EAA/T training sidestep high standards and core values for the sake of membership and financial gain. This rigorous research study has highlighted gaps in current training practices and has made it possible to make recommendations for a future curriculum. Recommendations that suggest the future curriculum is built on sound theoretical principles developing foundation knowledge to operate EAA/T in all fields of practice. This could set new quality and performance benchmarks and provides EAA/T practitioners with adequate tools to connect best practices to people with real-life challenges.

Syftet med studien är att få ökad kunskap om hur professionella upplever att hästunderstödda insatser (HUI) bidrar till utveckling hos individer. Den metodologiska utgångspunkten för undersökningen är en kvalitativ ansats med hermeneutiskt perspektiv, datainsamlingen utgick från semistrukturerade intervjuer. Studiens resultat visar att intervjupersonerna använder hästen som ett pedagogiskt verktyg i arbetet med individerna de möter och att HUI kan bidra till individens lärande och utveckling. Resultatet visar att HUI fokuserar på det friska hos individen och att de professionella arbetar ur ett holistiskt perspektiv, vilket överensstämmer med KASAM som är den teori som studien har utgått ifrån. Slutsatsen av studien är att HUI kan hjälpa individer i lärande och utveckling både när det kommer till psykisk och fysisk hälsa.

Denna studie har genomförts i syfte att öka kunskapen om psykosocial utvevckling hos barn med autismdiagnos i relation till aktiviteter med hästar. Studien är kvalitativ, baserad på fem intervjuer av föräldrar och det ingår fältobservationer. Intervjuerna har bearbetats enligt induktiv tematisk analys och redovisas under tre teman relaterade till barnens samspel med sin omvärld. Resultatet visar att aktiviteten med hästar inverkar positivt  på barnens vilja och förmåga att samspela och kommunicera med omvärlden. Färdigheterna visar sig i samspel med barn såväl som med vuxna, både inom familjen och i andra sammanhang. Studiens resultat visar överensstämmelse med tidigare forskning, samt att aktivitetens mångfassetterade innehåll och effekter synliggörs. Resultat som överraskar är erfarenheter av barnens annorlunda relation och kommunikation med hästar, samt iakttagelser av ridningens omedelbara effekter på barnen. Forskning föreslås ur ett familjeperspektiv där barnets röst lyfts fram, samt fortsatt forskning på ridningens fysiologiska effekter i relation till socialt interagerande. / This study has been conducted in order to increase knowledge about psychosocial development in children with autism diagnosis in relationship to activities with horses. The study is qualitative, based on five interviews with parents and includes field observations. The interviews have been processed according to inductive thematic analysis and are reported under three themes related to the childrens interaction with their environment. The result shows that the activity with horses has positive impact on the children's desire and ability to interact and communicate with the outside world. The skills manifests in interaction with children as well as with adults, both within the family and in other settings. The result of the study indicates conformity with previous research, and the event's multi-facetted content and effects are made visible. Surprising results are experiences of the children's different relationship and communication with horses, and observations of the immediate impact on the children when riding. Research from a family perspective highligtening the voice of the child is proposed, as well as further research on physiological effects of horseback riding in reltionship to social interacting.

Posttrauamtic stress disorder can be devastating to those affected by it. Many times it can limit the affected person in his/her daily routins. Equine asssited therapy is an up rising treatment but still there are not enough evidence based research or studies that can confirm its efficacy. There are a lot of different programs with Equine therapy for people with PTSD in the US but it is also used as treatment for other forms of mental illness. The purpose of this litterature study was to obtain knowledge about how efficient Equine therapy as a treatment is for people with PTSD and PTSD related symptoms as a treatment and anxiety. The method to this study is a litterature study that I based on 9 articles. The result showed that Equine therapy may be efficient for peopple with PTSD although some studies were not able to connect scientifically the evidence that the equine therapy in itself was the reason for deacrasing symptoms in PTSD. The conclusion is that after looking in to the studys is that we need more research in the area.

Hambert, M. Degree project in social work. Malmö University: Faculty of health and society, Department of social work, 2014.Equine assisted therapy is for many a yet unknown form of rehabilitation. In the current situation there is a lack of documented research on horses' involvement in rehabilitation and social work. Studies show that animals, and especially horses, can have a positive impact on human well-being, both physically and mentally. The focus of this study is to investigate whether equine assisted therapy can be used as a health-promotion rehabilitation method for people suffering from anxiety-related disorders such as depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, eating disorders and anxiety. My aim with this study was to investigate whether rehabilitation method with horses could result in improved mental health. I used semi-structured interviews of certificated therapists who work with equine assisted therapy. I also made a minor literature study to find out what previous research said on the subject. The results of this studies show, among other things, that horses with theirsspecific properties are suitable for use in rehabilitation. Horses can bring calm and harmony to the rehabilitation; show the reflection of a person's inner thoughts and emotions, promote social relationships as well as increase self-confidence etc. The study's results imply that equine assisted therapy is a well-functioning rehabilitation project for people affected by mental illness caused by anxiety-related disorders.

With overdose deaths and residential addiction treatment admittance increasing, more treatment options are necessary to meet the demand of services. Equine assisted psychotherapy and learning (EAPL) is a relatively new therapeutic tool in addiction treatment for individuals battling substance use disorder (SUD), and thus, lacks a solid evidence base to be implemented consistently and effectively. The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the effectiveness of EAPL in creating an emotionally safe environment for learning for college-age young adults with a particular focus on those struggling with SUD. This was accomplished in a series of projects focused on: 1) implementing evaluation methodology for tracking emotional safety and learning in young adults participating in equine interaction activities without therapeutic intentions, 2) determining the relationship between physiological responses and emotional safety and learning in young adults participating in outpatient EAPL programming for SUD, and 3) evaluating the treatment outcomes associated with emotional safety and learning for young adults with SUD participating in EAPL at a residential treatment facility. Each project utilized the same three evaluations for evaluating emotional safety and learning: 1) emotional safety evaluation, 2) equine knowledge exam, and 3) physical skills evaluation. In each of the studies, a correlation was found between emotional safety and equine knowledge and handling skills for college-age young adults, however, equine interaction with therapeutic intentions revealed a stronger correlation indicating it is not just the horse that provides the mental health benefits. An emotionally safe environment for learning, was established for college-age young adults within a residential treatment facility, this was not dependent on the length of stay or level of participation suggesting this is an efficient therapeutic option for SUD for this population. Emotional safety for the college-age young adults participating in EAPL was correlated to vital sign measurements, but vital sign measurements of young adults were independent of the vital signs of the therapy horse. Each of the three projects provided vital information filling the gap of knowledge surrounding EAPL as an effective clinical intervention strategy for SUD in college-age young adults and created a basis for further research using more objective measures.

Historically, the horse has in many ways been important to human beings. Today, Equine Assisted Therapy is a form of treatment in which the horse is used as a tool from the treatment of the client. Supported Equine therapy has a therapeutic purpose and may vary depending on the patient's needs and the professionals work competence. Various studies show that animals have a positive impact on people. The aim of our study was to explore how Equine Assisted Therapy is used within the practical fields of social work in Sweden. We wanted to  illustrate how professionals in different social work settings utilize this form of treatment. Based on our purpose we have chosen to use a qualitative approach in which we interviewed five professionals who work with Equine Assisted Therapy as treatment method in various activities. In our results, we present the strengths and weaknesses according to the professionals; which approach they consider relevant and how a treatment session might look like.

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