ABSTRACT
It is purported that many different populations or conditions can be effectively treated by equine-assisted therapy including returning veterans or active military personnel, children with autism spectrum disorder or cerebral palsy, at-risk youth, and adults suffering from trauma. This chapter reviews over 200 research articles published in peer-reviewed journals related to equine-assisted therapy. The outcome of this comprehensive literature review shows that although widely popular, equine-assisted therapy still lacks the conclusive empirical evidence needed to establish its efficacy as an effective treatment for most of the populations the treatment is used for. Challenges with research methodology and an industry-wide lack of consistent terminology and practice patterns have hampered effects to establish conclusive results. Further confusion is caused by the tendency for researchers to combine and compare therapy services offered by licensed healthcare professionals to non-therapy services offered by non-licensed adaptive riding instructors, educators, or coaches. This chapter offers important insights for researchers and practitioners, and helps to close the science-to-service gap by bringing research results into the hands of those offering equine-assisted therapy.
