Research
We are committed to growing research into the benefits of Equine Assisted Therapy and Equine Assisted Learning.
Below are a few of the current and recent research projects taking place at Strength & Learning Through Horses.
2019-2023. Dr Rosalie Jones McVey.
“Morality and Mental Wellbeing within Equine Assisted Therapies and Learning Programmes for Young People”. Based at the Social Anthropology Department, Cambridge, and supported by Christ’s College, Cambridge, The British Academy and The Leverhulme Institute.
Ethnographic Method.
This research uses ethnographic methods to investigate how we can think about the intersection between morality and mental wellbeing.
Ethnographic methods involve spending an extended period of time (in this case, 18 months) taking part in sessions and making qualitative observations. Specifically, this research sets out to investigate:
How horses can function as metaphors to help young people think about their relationships
What sort of value EAT/L programmes carry for those invested in them (staff/young people/teachers/volunteers)
How horses and humans react to one another’s body language during sessions, and how this mutual responsivity is reflected on by young people and/or therapy staff.
How notions of ‘responsibility’ and ‘accountability’ are managed within EAT/L sessions (this includes how and when horses, young people, staff, volunteers, teachers and other networked professionals or individuals take on various sorts of responsibility for caring for themselves or one another).
This research will contribute to our understanding of how mental wellbeing is experienced, understood and managed by investigating the moral dimensions of EAT/L programs. An anthropological approach to morality is not about investigating what is right or wrong or good or bad, but about investigating how the group of people being studied think about what is right or wrong. This research isn’t about investigating what is good about EAT/L, but about investigating how those involved in EAT/L programmes evaluate themselves and one another as part of these programmes.
O'Hanlon, Puffin; (2021)
From the Horse’s Mouth: A Grounded Theory Study of Client and Staff Views and Experiences of the Role of Horse-Human Interactions in Equine-Assisted Therapy and Learning for Young People. Doctoral thesis (D.Clin.Psy), UCL (University College London).
This research explores the role of interactions between people and horses in Equine-Assisted Therapy and Learning (EAT/L) interventions for young people.
Previous research suggests that psychosocial interventions for young people (YP) with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that include horses may promote engagement and positive change where others have failed.
However, research into Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning (EAT/L) has been criticised for being of low quality and for lacking an underlying theory of how it works.
The research aimed to fill a gap in the literature by developing a theory of the psychosocial processes involved in interactions between horses and humans in EAT/L.
Qualitative data – transcripts of semi-structured interviews with 13 young people aged 12-18 and 6 staff, and field notes of the researcher’s observations of EAT/L sessions was collected and analysed using constructivist grounded theory (GT) methodology.
Grounded theory is about developing new theories from observations of things that people say and do, rather than using pre-existing theories to understand these observations.
This grounded theory of horse-human interactions describes a journey through EAT/L. EAT/L involves young people co-regulating and attuning with horses in an environment – the stables - that they experience as a social sanctuary.
This leads to greater connection not only with horses, but also with their own bodily experiences, and with other people. In turn, these connections provide a safe enough space for young people to try out different ways of responding to adversity, enabling them to change unhelpful patterns of behaving and relating to others.
Through interacting with horses, young people develop capacities in emotion regulation, perspective-taking and communication that are transferable to their relationships with people. through stories told about their interactions with horses that emphasise agency and prosocial qualities rather than deficits, young people develop a valued identity that enables positive change in their wider lives.
Doctoral thesis (D.Clin.Psy), UCL Dr. Katie Warner.
The Experiences of Females with an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) Undertaking Equine Assisted Therapy – A Clinical Psychology doctorate thesis with the University of Hertfordshire.
The aim of this project was to explore how females with an ASC experienced Equine Assisted Therapies. Five female participants, aged between fifteen and thirty years old, with a diagnosis of ASC were recruited from two Equine Therapy centres in the UK including Strength and Learning Through Horses.
Each participant undertook a semi-structured interview which was transcribed and analysed. Three main themes were produced: 1) ‘The Toxic Experience of Living in the Social World’, 2) ‘The Process of Equine Assisted Therapy’ and 3) ‘The Emotional Impact of Horses on my World.’
Participants highlighted the importance of connections to the horses that was not possible in their social world, the benefits of non-verbal interventions and how equine therapy had instilled a sense of leadership and confidence in themselves.
Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) are described as a set of neurodevelopmental conditions characterised by early difficulties in social communication and interactions across multiple settings. A greater number of males are diagnosed over females. Numerous explanations have been proposed for the variance in diagnoses; with one such explanation based upon the idea of females 'masking' their difficulties. Additionally, assessment tools for the diagnosis of ASC are typically based upon male presentations.
Therefore, females often receive a late diagnosis or may never meet the clinical thresholds to receive a diagnosis. This has a detrimental impact on education, relationships, emotional wellbeing and mental health. As alternative therapies gain recognition in the field of ASC, one such therapy is Equine Therapy. Equine Therapy is an experiential process, and is typically centred around learning new skills, and honing an understanding of oneself and others through the use of the horse.