Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies and Autism Ranking:

Equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) is a term used to describe any kind of intervention based around the use of horses and/or the horses' environment.

Therapeutic horseback riding is an intervention in which a therapeutic team (consisting of a certified therapeutic riding instructor, two or more volunteers and a horse) teach a client how to ride and how to look after a horse.

 

Each session usually follows the same pattern: mounting the horse, warm up, review of skills from the previous week, teaching a new skill, a game or activity to practice the new skill, a lesson review followed by a cool down period and dismount. After riding, participants may lead their horse to the tacking area, learn skills of un-tacking and grooming, thank their horse and volunteers, and put their equipment away.

Hippotherapy is an intervention in which a single therapist (an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, or a speech and language therapist) works with a single client and a horse.

 

The therapist places the client on the horse; directs the movement of the horse; analyzes the rider's responses; and adjusts the treatment accordingly. Various movement challenges are presented by encouraging different movements of the horse to promote different postural responses of the rider in different positions. The horse influences the rider rather than the rider controlling the horse.

Equine-assisted psychotherapy is an intervention in which one or more mental health professionals works with one or more clients and one or more horses to achieve specific psychological goals.

 

Equine-assisted psychotherapy is experiential in nature. This means that the clients learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with the horses, and then processing (or discussing) feelings, behaviours, and patterns.

 

The activities may include selecting a horse, grooming and feeding it. It may not necessarily mean riding the horse.

There are many other specific forms of EAAT including interactive vaulting (an activity in which the participants perform movements on and around the horse) and therapeutic carriage driving (controlling a horse while driving from a carriage seat or from a wheelchair in a carriage modified to accommodate the wheelchair).