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The horse as an emotional mirror in Equine-Assisted Social Work (EASW) providing opportunities for an authentic relationship between staff and clients.
Source publication
The purpose of this study was to explore, by qualitative methods, the meaning of equine- assisted social work (EASW) both to young women with self-harm problems and their staff in residential treatment. Data were collected by in-depth interviews with eight staff members and nine clients. Human-horse interaction was observed subsequently in three of...
Citations
... The pet's role Mirroring found in the previous review was not recognised by the participants in this study. Mirroring, however, is an important aspect of some animal-assisted therapies (30). In equine-assisted therapy, for example, therapists use the horse's ability to respond to, or mirror, the inner emotions and intentions of people. ...
... In equine-assisted therapy, for example, therapists use the horse's ability to respond to, or mirror, the inner emotions and intentions of people. When a client is worried and experiences anxiety, this can be observed in the worried and anxious behaviour of the horse (30). Mirroring can be a useful way to help clients explore and regulate their emotions (31). ...
Background
Pets play very important roles for older adults. However, whether the same roles apply to pets of care clients receiving long-term care at home (LTCH) is unclear. This study aimed primarily to explore whether the roles of pets for LTCH-clients who own pets are comparable to the roles of pets for older adults in the general population. Furthermore, we explored potential pet-related problems that might be encountered in LTCH in practice, and the potential influences of pet ownership on caregiving relationships. These insights may help improve long-term care services in LTCH.
Methods
This project started with a study using the Consensual Qualitative Research method (CQR). We conducted semi-structured interviews based on themes from our previous review (e.g., Relational Aspects, Emotional Aspects, and Social Aspects). Secondly, a LimeSurvey questionnaire was used to confirm the findings from the CQR study by calculating Content Validity Index scores (in SPSS 26) regarding contents, relevance, and clarity. The questionnaire also included open-ended questions on potential pet-related problems and their impact on caregiving relationships for LTCH-clients, family caregivers, and professional caregivers.
Results
The CQR study found that the roles pets play for LTCH-clients (N = 8), family caregivers (N = 10), and professional caregivers (N = 10) were similar to the roles pets play for older adults in the general population. The LimeSurvey confirmed most of the CQR findings. In the questionnaire, LTCH-clients (N = 4), family caregivers (N = 8), professional caregivers (N = 8), and researchers in human-animal studies and in geriatric care (N = 5) reported various potential problems that could arise from pet ownership by LTCH-clients, such as clients with deteriorating health being forced to part with their pets. Participants also reported potential positive and negative effects of pet ownership on caregiving relationships, such as pets being a nice topic of conversation, or, conversely, a source of disagreement in the LTCH context.
Conclusions
The roles pets play for LTCH-clients seem comparable to the roles pets play for older adults in the general population. In addition, LTCH-clients might experience pet-related problems specific to the LTCH context. Pets may influence caregiving relationships, either positively or negatively. Therefore, instruments and guidelines are needed to account for pets in LTCH.
... Because horses are known to be the only animals that can provide immediate feedback on the emotional state of humans [21], whether the horse is ridden or unridden, rehabilitation is expected to have significant psychological and emotional benefits through interactive communication with horses. Therefore, equines have been included in a range of therapeutic human service contexts, including counseling and learning programs in correctional facilities [22,23], mental health facilities [24], social services [25], women's and youth addiction treatments [26], and high-risk youth and veterans who have experienced emotional and behavioral trauma [27][28][29][30]. ...
Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Avian Influenza (AI) frequently occur in South Korea, resulting in high levels of occupational stress among quarantine workers forced to partake in massive livestock killings. This study explored the usefulness of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) in improving these workers’ psychological and emotional functioning. A total of 51 FMD/AI control workers participated in 16 sessions of an EAL program facilitated by therapeutic riding professionals and trained horses. Results showed significant changes in their stress level, coping style, and overall quality of life-related to health, most notably increased vitality, enhanced emotional and social functioning, greater problem-solving, and less social avoidance after EAL participation. The usefulness of equine-assisted activities and the association between more significant stress coping ability and improved functioning in various areas of life are consistent with previous research findings. Implications for EAL application are discussed.
... These included trust, respect, consistency, correct timing, sensibility or intuitiveness, and consideration of personal space or boundaries. Literature supports the importance of these foundations in both contexts: Trust (Dinkmeyer & McKay, 1990;Carlsson et al., 2014;Frewin & Gardiner, 2005;Ghiringhelli, 2016;Peterson & Green, 2009);respect (Badejo, 2010;Carlsson et al., 2014;Dinkmeyer & McKay, 1990;Frewin & Gardiner, 2005;Guilamo-Ramos & Bouris, 2008;Horner & Sugai, 2005); consistency (Brandt, 2004;Goodnight, 2007;Hausberger et al., 2007;Ryan et al., 2013;Spagnola & Fiese, 2007); correct timing (Fingerman et al., 2004;Goodnight, 2007); sensibility (Brandt, 2004(Brandt, , 2006Burgon, 2011;Kohanov, 2001;Laursen & Collins, 2004;Lentini & Knox, 2009); and respecting personal boundaries (Badejo, 2010;Birke, 2007;Burgon, 2011;Ferguson, 2010;Horner & Sugai, 2005;Kohanov, 2013). ...
... These included trust, respect, consistency, correct timing, sensibility or intuitiveness, and consideration of personal space or boundaries. Literature supports the importance of these foundations in both contexts: Trust (Dinkmeyer & McKay, 1990;Carlsson et al., 2014;Frewin & Gardiner, 2005;Ghiringhelli, 2016;Peterson & Green, 2009);respect (Badejo, 2010;Carlsson et al., 2014;Dinkmeyer & McKay, 1990;Frewin & Gardiner, 2005;Guilamo-Ramos & Bouris, 2008;Horner & Sugai, 2005); consistency (Brandt, 2004;Goodnight, 2007;Hausberger et al., 2007;Ryan et al., 2013;Spagnola & Fiese, 2007); correct timing (Fingerman et al., 2004;Goodnight, 2007); sensibility (Brandt, 2004(Brandt, , 2006Burgon, 2011;Kohanov, 2001;Laursen & Collins, 2004;Lentini & Knox, 2009); and respecting personal boundaries (Badejo, 2010;Birke, 2007;Burgon, 2011;Ferguson, 2010;Horner & Sugai, 2005;Kohanov, 2013). ...
The aim of this study was to explore and describe adult horse riders’ perceptions regarding their communication with horses and how it translates to their communication with family. A qualitative explorative, descriptive research design was implemented. The sample group, which was recruited through either a purposive or snowball sampling technique, included nine participants between the ages of 19 and 53. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and analyzed with the use of thematic analysis. The findings reveal similarities between the communication that takes place between the participants and horses, and between the participants and their family members. These similarities make it possible for the communication in one context (with horses) to be translated to the other context (with family members), and the findings suggest that such a translation is possible and is supported by the systems theory.
... Simply being around horses may have incidental psychological benefits even if they were not the main goal. Working effectively with horses requires a reduction in cognitive dissonance, behaving in differing ways to your thoughts and beliefs, as well as breaking through the barriers of spoken language which humans often used to disguise how they really feel (Carlsson, Ranta, & Traeen, 2014). Horses do not hear what we say but know how we behave, so to some it feels that they almost read their thoughts. ...
... There are many potential explanations for the mechanisms and effectiveness of EFP from the concept of the horses 'mirroring' the behavior and inner emotions of the clients (Bachi, 2013;Carlsson et al., 2015Carlsson et al., , 2014; the importance of the presence of a non-verbal but apparently empathetic living being (Grootveld, 2015;P.-T. Lee & Makela, 2015;Sümegi, Oláh, & Topál, 2014;Waite & Bourke, 2013); and the perception of the horse as a prey animal observing, interacting with, and responding to us a potential predator (Brubaker & Udell, 2016;Evans, 2005;Goodwin, 1999;Saslow, 2002). Hamilton with the quote "predators yearn for rewards and prey animals for release" (2011, p123) makes the argument for a huge difference in the both the manner and value differences between working with horses and dogs. ...
Attachment Theory suggests interaction with caregivers in childhood impacts relationships and health throughout our lives (Bowlby, 1965, 1969, 1971), leaving many who have experienced insecure attachment with an inability to form healthy relationships or cope with stressors throughout their lifespan (Holmberg, Lomore, Takacs, & Price, 2011). Horses have interacted with humans for over 12,000 years (Hintz, 1995), holding multiple roles in human society, most relying on observation by humans of equine behavior, and formation of a human-equine bond (Hamilton, 2011). More securely attached humans tend to more readily decipher non-verbal cues, positively affecting their felt security and internal working model of Attachment (Bachi, 2013). Interacting with horses, who provide significant non-verbal cues, may provide an opportunity to enhance this process, providing useful feedback and insight. This study aimed to evaluate if a single ground-based encounter with a horse could bring about changes in women participants’ reports of Attachment and Emotion Regulation. It was hypothesized that participants would move towards more secure dimensions of Attachment and Emotion Regulations after the encounter with the horse and that behavioral interactions with the horse would differ for those with differing dimensions of Attachment or Emotion Regulation. This study incorporated a repeated measures mixed methods design, one twenty-eight year old Standardbred mare, “Wicky” Long Wick, interacted with 22 female university students with minimal prior equine experience aged 18-30. Participants completing a demographic and screening questionnaire along with the Experiences in Close Relationships –Revised (ECR)(Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998) and Emotion Regulation Questionnaires (ERQ)(Gross & John, 2003) at baseline, then the ECR and ERQ again both immediately prior to and immediately following encounter with the horse. The encounter was videotaped and included meeting, grooming, leading, and goodbye. Statistical analyses were completed using SPSS including paired t-tests and correlations. Videotape was evaluated, coded, and included in both quantitative and qualitative data analyses. Participants were recruited and participated in the study over the period of one calendar year. A significant decrease in Attachment anxiety was shown after encountering the horse (t(21)=2.915, p=.008 (M .237364, SD= .381941)), and significantly less time was spent between the horse and participant at goodbye than at meeting (t (21)=2.751, p=.021 (M 42.045, SD= 71.67)), particularly for those with insecure dimensions of Attachment (t (15)= 2.814, p=.013 (M= 45.75, SD=65.03)). Participants with insecure dimensions of Attachment showed significant increases in cognitive reappraisal after encountering the horse (t(14)= -3.732, p=.002 (M -.411, SD= .4266)), and the greatest decreases in Attachment Anxiety (t(14)=3.364, p=.005 (M .307, SD= .354)). The findings suggest interaction between horses and people differs along Attachment dimensions and show some support for positive changes in humans for both Attachment and Emotion Regulation dimensions after interaction with a horse.
... In this study, the horse simplified communication and helped the participants to interact with each other, as they without further explanation, choose to spend time with only the horse until they were ready to interact with the others. When a person dares to become attached to and develop confidence in the horse, there is also a chance that this confidence is projected and begins to be established even in relationships with others (Carlsson et al., 2014). The participants in this study showed how the group appeared to become more important as time passed and they got to know each other. ...
Adopting positive health interventions is necessary to promote self-image, improve well-being, support meaningful social interaction and reduce loneliness, with benefits for psychological and physical health for persons with psychotic conditions. Raised awareness of the potential benefits of involving horses in these kinds of interventions is warranted. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the role of the horse in equine-assisted interventions (EAI) as conceptualized among persons with psychotic conditions. Interviews were conducted with eight persons with psychotic conditions who had participated in an EAI, and data were analyzed following conventional qualitative content analysis. The results illustrate how the horse united the group and facilitated personal maturity both at a group level and at a personal level. In the group the horse facilitated interaction and became a healthy and normal topic of discussion. The interaction between the horse and others helped the participants to become aware of and reflect on behaviors of oneself and of others. At an individual level, the horse helped to develop participants’ identities and growth by offer mutual friendship. With its size and calming way of being, the horse evoked a healing power among participants who identified characteristics of themselves in the horse. Through its clear body language and communication, the horse facilitated personal maturity and development among the participants that would not have occurred without the horse’s presence.
... Under 2000-talet har hästunderstödda insatser i allt högre grad riktats även mot personer med psykisk ohälsa inklusive PTSD (Post Traumatiskt Stress Syndrom), personer i socialt utsatta livssituationer och som del i inlärningssituationer för personer med behov av särskilt stöd (Carlsson, 2014;Carlsson, 2017;Naste et al., 2017;Malinowski et al., 2018;Johnson et al., 2018;Hallberg, 2017;Jormfeldt & Carlsson, 2018;Pelyva et al. 2020). Den växande kunskapen om neuropsykiatriska diagnoser och relaterade funktionsnedsättningar har skapat ytterligare andra områden där hästunderstödda insatser visat sig vara relevanta och viktiga insatser (Ohtani et al., 2017;Oh et al. 2018;Hallberg, 2017;Grandin, 2019;Byström, 2020). ...
... När den ansvarige visar respekt för hästen som individ, omsorg om dess välmående, positiva relationer och ger beröm och visar vänlighet påverkas naturligtvis alla som vistas i närheten på ett positivt sätt. Hur vi hanterar hästen och talar om den speglar vår syn på hästen (Carlsson, 2014;Forsling, 2014). Denna påverkar i förlängningen också synen på hur den HUI ansvarige uppfattas värdera sina medmänniskor. ...
... Om hästens signaler och behov inte uppmärksammas, finns risk att man inte uppmärksammar tecken på stress och ohälsa hos hästen. Förutom försämrad hästvälfärd innebär det också risker för klienten (Andersson, 2010;Carlsson, 2014;Lerner, 2020). ...
The report address how animal welfare and human safety are intertwined in the area of Equine Facilitated/Assisted Interventions and give a overview of the industry of EAI in Sweden 2020-21. EAI may provide positive welfare for horses working at riding schools or in rehabilitation. Providers need to understand the impact of horse welfare on outcome for clients, as there are reasons to believe that poor welfare may influence patient outcome negatively in therapy.
The aim of this report is to raise important issues that can ensure the welfare of both horses and humans in horse-assisted interventions (HUI). It deals with how human and animal safety and wel-fare interact, about patient safety in complementary interventions in health care, student safety in alternative school forms and professional aspects regarding horse – human interaction. The report is highlighting important research on how we can best work together with horses in care, nursing, psychosocial work and school. HUI involves a practical application of the One Welfare and One Health concepts and can be seen as a resource for achieving several of the goals in Agenda 2030. HUI arises at the intersection of the publicly funded healthcare sector and rural development. Several political focus areas are affected when welfare services are incorporated into the horse in-dustry and all individuals involved must be guaranteed the best possible health. Animal welfare must not be jeopardized by unreasonable procurement conditions and human safety must not be jeopard-ized by entrepreneurs' lack of knowledge about horse behaviour or the impact of disabilities on the ability to assess and avoid risks. In a HUI activity, animals become a resource for human health. Today's working horse may be found in rehabilitation activities and not only for recreation or sports. To develop this growing sector into a resource to meet health problems and contribute to rehabilitation and recovery, a description of the current situation is needed. Horses have documented conditions for contributing to human healing, but the state of knowledge about the mechanisms is unclear. Horse-assisted interventions are included in "Nature-assisted rehabilitation", as well as "Outdoor rehabilitation". The health ef-fects of being outdoors, in nature, are always added to the specific effects that the horse's participa-tion entails. Ignorance of horses and HUI by purchasers or practitioners is a strong risk factor for human safety and horse welfare. Surveys of the industry in 2008 and 2020 show a sprawling and passionate industry that has changed from publicly run HUI with practitioners employed in health care to mostly self-employed entrepreneurs with insecure contract terms and short procurement agreements. The professions that offer HUI now also include professionals in psychosocial work and in school. Just as the scenery of health issues, diagnoses and rehabilitation needs has changed between 2008 and 2020, the range of services and target groups for interventions has been expanded. HUI has been part of Swedish healthcare uninterruptedly for over 60 years and arose as a result of the polio pandemic and the rehabilitation needs that emerged around the world. In the aftermath of today's pandemic, HUI can be a valuable resource for people with long-term needs for multimodal rehabilitation. HUI is characterized by its surrounding environment, the client's needs, the HUI provider ́s pro-fessional competence and the horse's specific contribution as a source of movements to the rider, creator of relationships, motivator for participation in an intervention or as a friend and role model through its social competence. The use of animals in therapeutic contexts also entails an extra re-sponsibility for the animal's well-being during the intervention. Knowledge of the horse's behaviour and needs in housing and care as well as their signals of stress need to be present all over the horse industry. This is a fundamental animal welfare issue. It is important that HUI providers also have this knowledge so that it can be of clinical benefit and so that the horses' welfare is not at risk of being jeopardized. Studies suggest that poor horse welfare and horses that signal ill health in turn affect the client in an adverse way. Poor horse welfare is thus not only an animal welfare issue but also becomes counterproductive for the HUI industry.
(PDF) Hästunderstödda insatser -samspel mellan hästens välfärd och människans säkerhet (Equine assisted interventions - horse welfare and human safety).
Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352518886_Hastunderstodda_insatser_-samspel_mellan_hastens_valfard_och_manniskans_sakerhet_Equine_assisted_interventions_-_horse_welfare_and_human_safety [accessed Jan 20 2022].
... Many Equine Assisted Therapy papers talk about the relevance of the therapy in emotional regulation, which may play a significant role in the maintenance of several psychological problems including eating, self-harms, suicide and low self-esteem. 9 In Animals Classification: Animals have been differentiated and classified based on their work tasks and service use (Parenti, Foreman, Jean Meade, & Wirth, 2013), with six functional categories of animals identified: service animals; public service animals; therapy animals; visitation animals; sporting, recreational, or agricultural animals; and support animals (Parenti et al., 2013). In the nomenclature of Parenti et al. (2013), service animals are trained to perform tasks related to an individual's disability, such as a seeingeye dog or seizure-alert dog. ...
... It also seems to developed communication skills, emotional awareness, and regulation, as well as reducing anxiety (Beck & Katcher). 9 In the picture below is possible to see the facial expression of one child in her first contact with a pony in Zootherapy. Her expression is tense, thigh, closed she had been treated for cancer and was at control time. ...
ABSTRACT:
Human and horses had an important relationship around centuries in all the world. Since the domestication horses are used to carry the humans being and to work with and used for wars. After the centuries some sports used horses for their practice narrowing the relation between horses and humans. Nowadays horses are a very important element in our society being our pets in home farms or like important therapeutics in big cities. The new aspect of this integration between horses and humans are seeing in this related experience in a public hospital with children with cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
... The inherent characteristics of the horse, such as size, strength, warmth, body language and herd behaviour can be used with therapeutic benefit in work with clients. For instance, learning herd-based and co-operative behaviour from the horse and experiencing new forms of behaviour and feelings are some of the basic aspects employed as psychotherapeutic tools [19,23,25,26]. The horse can be introduced to the client as a metaphor to (1) explain the horse's behaviour (what is the horse running away from?), (2) discuss props or tools (what does the halter mean to the horse, and what is your halter in life?), (3) help the client relate to life lessons learned (cooperation, what does it mean that you all dismounted to get the horse over the obstacle?) ...
... In a therapeutic setting, horses are often perceived as non-judgemental, facilitating the human-horse connection. The horse's congruency and its non-judgemental and motivational responses are valuable for building selfesteem, confidence, efficacy and mastery [23,25,26,[28][29][30]. The congruence of a horse's responses to a human request or approach, for example, can be a useful and positive way for the client to see or become more aware of his/her own behaviour and lack of congruence [22,25]. ...
... The horse's congruency and its non-judgemental and motivational responses are valuable for building selfesteem, confidence, efficacy and mastery [23,25,26,[28][29][30]. The congruence of a horse's responses to a human request or approach, for example, can be a useful and positive way for the client to see or become more aware of his/her own behaviour and lack of congruence [22,25]. Social interaction with the horse can shed light on human interactions and their meanings, and on possibilities for behavioural change, helping to restore a concept of relationships based on trust and attachment [19,22,25,31]. ...
Background:
Treatment completion is the greatest challenge for the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). A previous investigation showed that complementary horse-assisted therapy (cHAT) was associated with higher retention in treatment and completion than standard treatment alone. This randomized controlled trial further explored the benefits of cHAT for patients with SUDs.
Methods:
Fifty patients in residential SUD treatment at the Department of Addiction Treatment, Oslo University Hospital, were randomly allocated to either cHAT (cHAT group) or treatment as usual alone (TAU-only group). The primary end-point was treatment completion. Secondary end-points were dropout, transfer to another treatment, and time in treatment.
Results:
The multinomial logistic regression analysis found no statistically significant association between intervention (cHAT) and treatment outcome (completion, dropout, transferred) among the 37 participants who were ultimately recruited to the study. Some unforeseen challenges were encountered in the study: a high number of subjects transferred to another treatment, variable attendance at cHAT sessions, and long temporary exits. Nevertheless, 44% of participants in the cHAT group completed their treatment, compared with 32% in the TAU-only group; this observation encourages further investigation in a larger sample.
Conclusions:
Though no association was identified between cHAT and treatment retention or completion, our study may have been underpowered. Further work in a larger clinical population is needed; observational studies with repeated measures may also be useful for investigating whether cHAT increases retention in treatment or rates of completion, two important factors for successful SUD treatment. Trial registration The trial was registered and approved on 14 October 2011 by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics with registration number 2011/1642 and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on 21 February 2013 with registration number NCT01795755.
... For this reason, the horse is dependent on reading the leader's intentions. Thus, the horse functions as an emotional mirror for humans (Carlsson, Ranta, & Traeen, 2014. This implies that the horse is sensitive to its rider's emotions, and it will act accordingly, particularly if the human-horse relationship has lasted for a longer period of time. ...
This study addresses the relationship between competition riders' personality traits and the perception of their horse's personality, and it assesses whether a match in personality is associated with aspects of the riders' self-esteem, general self-efficacy, satisfaction with life, anxiety and depression. An invitation to participate in the study and a link to an online questionnaire were distributed via e-mail to members of the Norwegian Equestrian Federation (NEF). In total, 662 riders (95.5% female) accessed the survey site and completed the questionnaire. Most riders perceived of themselves as planned and systematic, extraverted and sociable, open to new experiences and non-neurotic. They tended to perceive of their favourite horse in a similar manner. Based on the riders' perceptions, three dimensions of personality in the horses were identified: 'neuroticism', 'agreeableness' and 'extraversion'. To study the match and discrepancy in human and horse personality, new variables were constructed to measure the differences between human personality and horse personality. Positive self-esteem and higher subjective well-being in the rider correlated with a match in both agreeableness and extraversion. On the other hand, riders who had a discrepancy with their horse in agreeableness and extraversion reported more depression. Riders who experienced a match in extraversion with their horse had higher self-efficacy. Lastly, riders who had a discrepancy with their horse in neuroticism and extraversion reported more anxiety.
... Many Equine Assisted Therapy papers talk about the relevance of the therapy in emotional regulation, which may play a significant role in the maintenance of several psychological problems including eating, self-harms, suicide and low self-esteem. 9 In Animals Classification: Animals have been differentiated and classified based on their work tasks and service use (Parenti, Foreman, Jean Meade, & Wirth, 2013), with six functional categories of animals identified: service animals; public service animals; therapy animals; visitation animals; sporting, recreational, or agricultural animals; and support animals (Parenti et al., 2013). In the nomenclature of Parenti et al. (2013), service animals are trained to perform tasks related to an individual's disability, such as a seeingeye dog or seizure-alert dog. ...
... It also seems to developed communication skills, emotional awareness, and regulation, as well as reducing anxiety (Beck & Katcher). 9 In the picture below is possible to see the facial expression of one child in her first contact with a pony in Zootherapy. Her expression is tense, thigh, closed she had been treated for cancer and was at control time. ...
The use of animals to improve the mental quality of life to the patients was used by Greek people at first time in siglo V b.c. .
In this paper we show the efficacy of the use of ponies to help children with cancer in a public hospital in Brazil. In almost 10 years of experience(Oct, 22) with this voluntary work I should realize how important is to the patient the contact with the nature - in a Burle Marx Garden in this case - and animals, specially pony - a little horse that can enhance the Yang Qi Energy at the patient that has his down, prior to have cancer.
