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Motivation and emotion/Book/2023/Equine therapy and emotion

< Motivation and emotion‎ | Book‎ | 2023
Equine Therapy and Emotion:

How does human interaction with horses, impact emotion? How can this be used in therapy?

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Overview edit

 
Figure 1. Czekajlo. Retired standardbred 'Red' interacting with a participant in an Equine Assisted Learning exercise.

The social herd, prey nature and ensuing heightened sensitivity to reading energy and subtle changes in their environment, enable horses to co-facilitate teaching a wide range of life and coping skills. Due to their sensitivity, horses react and respond to people differently based upon the person’s current, and ever-changing,  emotional state. The horse supplies biofeedback, providing the clients and the therapeutic team or coach with information regarding the clients’ mood, somatic experience and changes within those moods/experiences  This provides an opportunity for learning and skill building. https://rdansw.org.au/programs/rda-nsw-connections/


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  • Explain the problem and why it is important
  • Outline how psychological science can help
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What is Equine Therapy?

What is Emotion?

How do horses and humans express emotion?

How can this be used in therapy?

Animals and Therapy - History edit

Equine Therapy - Why horses? edit

What makes equines appropriate for human therapy? edit

Give a brief history of horses as human ‘partners’.

Equine Social Order and Herd Behaviour edit

  • Explain horses as a herd animal with a social order. Link to Pat Parelli and Buck Brannaman clips. EAL Greg Kirsten & Sheez Like the Wind

Equine Communication edit

  • Explain how horses communicate their emotions with each other? Link to interviews with horse owners on YouTube. (Evidenced in herd behaviour - non-verbal communication cues i.e. affect, and response to natural instinct). Link to videos of home herd..

The horse as a prey animal edit

  • Highlight that horses are a prey animal with an automotive flight response. Link to videos of examples from home herd.

Emotion - Universality (Horses and Humans) edit

Eckman's Six Basic Emotions edit

  • Explain the universality of happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger and surprise as expressions.
  • Illustrate humans expressing the six emotions (Link to photos)
  • Illustrate horses expressing the six emotions. (Link to photos and videos of untouched brumbies in home herd exhibiting Eckman’s six basic emotions – in their natural state).

Experiencing Emotion - psychological and neurobiological processes edit

  • In horses
  • In humans

Equine Human Experiential Learning Therapy edit

How do horses communicate their emotions with humans? edit

  • Answers in link to questionnaire results from (horse trainers, riders and enthusiast)
  • Link to YouTube video of home herd and Case Study: Lexi and Rex (Feature Box)

Interview Questions edit

  1. What types of therapy are horses used for? How? Why? (examples: Gestalt Therapy, DBT, CBT and Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation).
  2. What impact can this have on human emotion?


Link to YouTube video of home herd and Case Study: Lexi and Rex (Feature Box) and Amelia and Honor - Kosciusko Brumbies.

Equine Therapy and Psychology - Theories of Emotion edit

Evolutionary Theory of Emotion - Darwin edit

James-Lange Theory of Emotion edit

Cognitive Appraisal Theory - Lazarus edit

Facial Feedback Theory - Darwin and James edit

Conclusion edit

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References edit

Adams, C., et al. (2015). The Helping Horse: How Equine Assisted Learning Contributes to the Wellbeing of First Nations Youth in Treatment for Volatile Substance Misuse. Hum Anim Interact Bull 1, 52-75. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26793794/

Bachi, K., J. Terkel, M. Teichman (2012). Equine-facilitated psychotherapy for at-risk adolescents: the influence on self-image, self-control and trust. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 17, 298-312 doi:10.1177/1359104511404177. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21757481/

Coetzee, N., Boyce, S., & Masenge, A. (2022). The Role of the Eagala Model in Promoting Psychological Wellbeing in Adolescents: A Mixed-Methods Approach. Society & Animals, 1-23. doi:https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-bja10092 https://brill.com/view/journals/soan/aop/article-10.1163-15685306-bja10092/article-10.1163-15685306-bja10092.xml

Earles, J. L., L. L. Vernon, J. P. Yetz (2015). Equine-assisted therapy for anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms. J Trauma Stress 28, 149-52 doi:10.1002/jts.21990. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25782709/, F., E. Walderhaug, A. Kern-Godal, J. Lysell, E. A. Arnevik (2020). Complementary horse-assisted therapy for substance use disorders: a randomized controlled trial. Addict Sci Clin Pract 15, 7 doi:10.1186/s13722-020-0183-z. https://ascpjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13722-020-0183-z

Mueller, M. K., L. McCullough (2017). Effects of Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Youth. Journal of child and family studies 26, 1164-1172 doi:10.1007/s10826-016-0648-6. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10826-016-0648-6

Tsantefski, M., L. Briggs, J. Griffiths, A. Tidyman (2017). An open trial of equine-assisted therapy for children exposed to problematic parental substance use. Health Soc Care Community 25, 1247-1256 doi:10.1111/hsc.12427. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28147452/

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