The practice of using horses in therapy has a long history that dates back thousands of years, with evidence of horses being used for therapeutic purposes in ancient civilisations such as Greek and Egyptian.

 

The modern history of Equine therapy can be traced back to the mid-20th century when rehabilitation centers in Europe began using horses to help treat individuals with physical disabilities returning from World War II.

In the 1940’s, Liz Hartel a Danish equestrian used horseback riding as a form of therapy to recover from polio. Her success and advocacy for the therapeutic benefits of horses helped pave the way for the establishment of formal equine therapy programs.

​

In the 20th century, equine therapy began to be recognised as a valuable intervention for individuals with physical, emotional and psychological challenges.

​

In the 1960’s the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) now known as the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl) was founded in the United States as the first formal organisation dedicated to promoting and regulating equine-assisted activities and therapies.

​

Recent research by Animal Therapies Ltd (www.animaltherapies.org.au) shows that Equine Assisted services for children with ADHD resulted in  improved manual dexterity, bilateral coordination and total motor scores over a 12 week intervention period. 12 Weeks of equine-assisted therapy has been shown to significantly reduce feelings of pain and had positive impacts on muscle mass, social function, mental health and general health. A horse assisted activity indicated that 66.7% or participants with PTSD felt their symptoms had reduced after 3 weeks and 87.5% of individuals had reduced symptoms after 6 weeks. 

​

In addition - 

"Research has demonstrated improved social, emotional and physical functioning for ASD children who participate in equine assisted activities" 

Lanning, B.A. Baier, M.E.M., Ivey-Hatz, J. et al. Effects on Equine Assisted Activities on Austism Spectrum Disorder.J Autism Dev Disord 44, 1897-1907 (2014).

​

A 2017 Australian study with adolescents experiencing depression quotes: 

"The findings suggest a range of improvements within adolescent clients, including increases in confidence, self-esteem and assertiveness, as well as a decrease in undesirable behaviours. The effectiveness of the therapy was thought to be due to the experiential nature of involving horses in therapy."

Wilson, Buultjens, Monfries, Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2015

​

​