Therapy horses must be treated as ‘active participants’ not ‘therapeutic tools’

Research has shone a light on the wellbeing of therapy horses – as we are reminded that equines should be considered as “active participants, rather than therapeutic tools”.

In a paper published in Animals, researchers reviewed literature on the human-animal therapeutic relationship to understand “both sides of the interaction”.

Lead author Waldemar Grzegorzewski of the University of Rzeszow, Poland, told H&H animal-assisted interventions are “understandably often evaluated in terms of their benefits for people” but that “much less attention” is given to the animals’ experience.

“We introduced the concept of interpretative asymmetry to describe this imbalance. Humans define the purpose, timing and conditions of a therapeutic session and interpret the animal’s behaviour,” said Dr Grzegorzewski.

“The animal cannot explain its experience, so its welfare has to be inferred from behaviour, physiology and context. For us, the important shift is from asking: ‘Does the animal help the person?’ to also asking: ‘What does participation mean for the animal?’”

Dr Grzegorzewski said the conclusion was that animals should be regarded as “active, welfare-sensitive participants rather than therapeutic tools”.

“Human benefit alone cannot tell us whether the animal is experiencing the interaction positively,” he said.

“This is particularly important with horses. A horse that appears compliant or attentive may be comfortable, but calm behaviour should not automatically be interpreted as consent, trust or emotional engagement.”

Dr Grzegorzewski said horse welfare must be treated as an outcome of therapy sessions, not as a condition that allows interventions to take place – and that providers should consider horses as individuals and not assume they will respond “equally well” every time. He also highlighted that different therapies carry different physical and emotional demands, so “a horse’s ability to withdraw from the interaction” is necessary.

“Most importantly, the therapeutic success experienced by a human should never be taken as evidence, by itself, that the horse is also experiencing the interaction positively,” he said.

“Behavioural observation is fundamental, but should be interpreted alongside physical and contextual information. It is also important to monitor the same horse over time. A subtle change from normal behaviour may be more informative than simply comparing it with a checklist.”

Horse welfare is an ongoing focus of many UK therapy providers. H&H reported that the Equine Assisted Services Partnership (EASP), whose members include organisations such as the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) and HorseWorld, launched new professional standards, which includes considering the effect of therapy on the equine partner (news, 16 July).

Dr Grzegorzewski said standards – providing that they are evidence-based and updated as our understanding develops – are “valuable” and that work by organisations such as EASP is “very relevant”.

He added that future studies would be useful to consider equine behavioural ethograms and physiological indicators and long-term effects.

“The question should not be whether equine-assisted interventions work. We need to establish under what conditions they work while maintaining or enhancing the welfare of the horse,” he said.

RDA chief executive Michael Bishop told H&H this research “reinforces the importance” of the sector continuing to learn and evolve.

“At RDA, we see the horse as an active partner, whose physical, behavioural and emotional wellbeing must be considered alongside the outcomes for people,” he said.

“Horses have an extraordinary ability to transform lives, and if they are to continue playing such an important role, we have to put their welfare at the heart of how we work with them. This reflects the approach we are taking at RDA, where equine welfare is fundamental, and we are committed to continually developing our practice.”

EASP chair Celia Grummitt told H&H the organisation welcomes this research and said the need to truly understand equine wellbeing “cannot be overstated”.

“It must be an essential part when horses interact with people whether it be assisted learning, mental or physical therapies or wellbeing,” said Dr Grummitt.

“EASP places huge importance on equine welfare when assessing providers who wish to be approved on the Human Equine Interaction Register and use the kitemark”.

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