Youth who have experienced maltreatment (abuse, neglect, exposure to violence) typically exhibit worse life outcomes (lower graduation rates, higher incident of substance use, unplanned pregnancies, etc.). Effective therapeutic interventions are important to combat these negative effects. Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) is a popular and growing field. Anecdotal evidence abounds on the efficacy of AAI, however, there is a lack of quantitative and qualitative research and evidence-backed models of treatment particularly with youth. This study sought to increase the amount of quantitative evidence on AAI by specifically focusing on evaluating the Power Tools for Living Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) model with youth who have experienced maltreatment. This study analyzed secondary data collected from Special Spirit Inc., an equine therapy center. Three groups of youth placed in out-of-home care at residential treatment facilities in Los Angeles County participated in the Power Tools for Living EAP program. Prior to and after the intervention the youth’s guardian or clinician filled out a Youth Outcomes Questionnaire (YOQ). This data was analyzed but no statistical significant associations were yielded from the analysis. Analysis of the data does provide suggestions for further study that may potentially establish the Power Tools for Living EAP model as an effective intervention for youth who have experienced maltreatment, particularly younger participants and those with higher YOQ scores prior to treatment.

In 2018, the Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association (CTRA) connected with the University of Victoria to initiate a research project focusing on social connectedness. Social connectedness is the psychosocial process of belonging that can be developed within a community context. Feelings of social connectedness can reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts, lessens violence, health compromising behaviours, and the impact of stress and trauma, and is linked to high self-esteem. The aim of this mixed methods case study was to understand the social connectedness of families participating in a community therapeutic riding program. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used to investigate social connectedness at the CTRA. Three different perspectives were sought to explore social connectedness at the CTRA; guardians, children, and instructors. Participants completed the quantitative Connectedness to Treatment Setting Scale (CTSS) in Phase 1, and qualitative semi-structured interviews in Phase 2 to follow-up and expand upon findings from Phase 1. Fifteen participants (guardians (n = 12) and instructors (n = 3)) participated in Phase 1 of the study whereas five guardians (including a guardian and child dyad) and two instructors participated in Phase 2 of the study. The CTSS comprised of 10 questions assessed on a 6-point scale (from 1 = Totally disagree to 6 = Totally agree). Frequencies were computed for each question and overall mean scores (+ SD) were computed for guardians and instructors separately. The interview transcripts were coded twice. Initially, a deductive orientational approach guided by seven attributes of social connectedness was used. Then, an inductive approach was used to examine how social connectedness was experienced, fostered, or hindered at the CTRA, as well as suggestions for improvement. The CTSS scores revealed that the vast majority of guardians and instructors felt highly socially connected at the CTRA. The overall mean score of the guardians was 55.3 (SD = 4.5) and 56.7 (SD = 3.1) among the instructors. All seven attributes of social connectedness were represented in the guardians and instructors’ responses however, trust, caring, and reciprocity were the most evident attributes. Two themes emerged from the inductive analysis: effective communication equates with social connectedness and expectations of services. Guardians reported that communication as a team with their instructor, volunteer(s), and the animals positively influenced their families’ social connectedness. The results suggested that social connectedness might be mediating relationships between negative factors preceding a therapeutic riding session and the experience of that lesson. Although the instructors and majority of families were socially connected at the CTRA, guardians had high expectations of the program and wanted the CTRA to foster connections beyond their son/daughters therapeutic riding lesson by organizing opportunities for peer and family relationships. The people and animals at the CTRA contributed heavily to family’s sense of social connectedness. Most families had a desire to connect and form relationships with the people and animals at the CTRA. The CTRA provides a community context that supports the development of social connectedness. / Graduate

The aim of this thesis is to map the effect of hippo rehabilitation on a change in school evaluation, interpersonal communication, behaviour and skills of the pupils with a health handicap. The thesis is divided into two parts. The theoretical part summarizes necessary information about hippo rehabilitation as a whole and its usability in treatment of disorders and diseases. In the first chapter, a brief history of hippo rehabilitation and its emergence as a treatment method is presented; followed by definitions of terms, division and characterization of the individual disciplines. The following part is devoted to the healing effect of hippo rehabilitation on both physical and psychological components of a human being, through the impact of specific and non-specific factors of the therapy. The third part describes the way the hippo rehabilitation is carried out in practice, as well as the conditions necessary for its performance. The healing effects and mechanisms of the individual disciplines are also dealt with. The last chapter of the theoretical part deals with hippo rehabilitation in terms of its effect on human functions and characteristics that influence school success. This part also includes a description of symptoms and signs of the individual disabilities and a possible impact of hippo...

The benefits of horse therapy for special needs children have been documented for centuries, but direct experience and perspective from special needs children and their families involved in horse therapy are missing from the literature. The purpose of this study was to enhance understanding on the health, well-being, and ecological impacts of horse therapy for special needs children, and to demonstrate how horse therapy aligns with public health, by interviewing 8 special needs families who utilize the therapy, 8 adults who underwent horse therapy as children, and 12 ecological experts in local communities. Data were hand-coded and organized based on the phenomenology of the horse, the ethnography of horse and horse therapy culture and environment, and grounded theory to explain how and why horse therapy works. All 16 horse therapy participants with diverse challenges and limitations reported a successful experience with concrete changes in health and/or well-being as a result of horse therapy; all 12 ecological experts endorsed horse therapy centers as beneficial fixtures within the communities, despite obvious challenges, such as funding, in running them. Horse therapy can be used to help and support a wide-range of special needs families; horse therapy centers are beneficial assets to local communities and their public health programs. With respect to the social change implications of this study, the information can be used by community members (e.g., doctors, health professionals, occupational therapists, families) to better understand horse therapy and its benefits for special needs children. In an attempt to improve access and promote horse therapy as a viable public health initiative, a basic blueprint for horse therapy center start-up operations has been provided for local communities.

The purpose of this integrative review of the literature is to examine the effectiveness of equine assisted therapy with individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). An extensive review of the literature was conducted regarding children diagnosed with ASD who received equine therapy, equine psychotherapy, therapeutic horseback riding, or horse therapy. Inclusion criteria include articles written in the English language, articles that were peer-reviewed, and had a publication date from 2006 to present. Fourteen articles were analyzed regarding children with ASD who participated in different types of equine therapy. The majority of the studies found individuals with ASD who participated in equine therapy had improvements in behavior, social interactions, and communication with decreased stereotypical ASD behaviors. Only one article found no changes in behavior. Most of the articles had very small sample sizes that limited the generalizability of the findings. There were many different ways that the research was conducted and therefore the screening measures were completely different for all studies. Many studies did not take gender of participants into account, whether the participants were verbal or nonverbal, and other treatments the participants were receiving. Although the literature analyzed had different methodologies, the overall research suggests equine assisted therapy can be a beneficial therapy for individuals with ASD and therefore could be considered a viable treatment option. The outcomes of this integrative review supports the need for larger, randomized, controlled trials with larger samples to effectively evaluate the effects of equine therapy.