what is equine assisted therapy?

This 2015 study concluded that “equine-assisted activities and therapies are an effective means of improving many measures of physical health”. Specifically, the study concluded that improvements in gross motor function, spasticity, muscle symmetry, posture, balance and gait have been realized by individuals with varying disabilities. 

This 2018 research paper strived to measure the effectiveness of equine assisted therapy as an intervention to reduce symptoms that include anxiety, flashbacks and emotional numbing, and increase coping capacity for U.S. military veterans that were diagnosed with PTSD. The study found that participants had significantly decreased PTSD scores after three weeks of Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR) and concluded that THR may be a clinically effective treatment for alleviating PTSD symptoms.