The therapeutic role of horses in equine-based therapy: An exploratory study with South African mental health practitioners

Abstract

Recently published literature on the use of equines in a therapeutic context has explored the connection between humans and horses in addressing social, educational, emotional and mental health challenges amongst clients presenting with various psycho-social problems. Despite the growing momentum around the therapeutic value of the human-horse connection, there is still little published literature on equine-based therapy and the role of the horse as a therapeutic partner. This study sought to deepen an understanding of equine-based therapy and the role of the horse in the therapeutic process. This understanding is crucial to establishing a strong foundation for such therapeutic efforts and for broadening its application within the field of social work. This study adopted a qualitative exploratory design as it sought to extract rich information pertaining to the process of equine-based therapy, its benefits and its significance in social work. The study was further guided by an instrumental case study approach. Non-probability sampling strategies, specifically purposive sampling and snowball sampling, were used to recruit fifteen mental health practitioners across four provinces in South Africa. Mental health practitioners who used equine-based therapy were selected for in-depth, semi-structured interviews. An interview guide was used to guide the interviews. The study identified three major themes, i.e. understanding equine-based therapy in a therapeutic context, horses as therapeutic partners, and equine-based therapy as a healing tool for all through the process of inductive thematic analysis.