Equine Therapy: Can Working With Horses Reduce Suicide Risk?
- Jaithra Kakarla
- May 22, 2021
- 2 min read
Equine-assisted therapy, which involves interacting with horses, is a widely used therapeutic tool, especially with adolescents. The unique sensitivity of horses, and their oft-cited characteristic of being “nonjudgmental”, helps teens develop the same characteristics towards themselves. In equine-assisted therapy (EAT), teens are required to be fully present. They need to watch for and respond to horses’ subtle signals. And they need to practice problem-solving tasks, at the moment, in ways that often trigger introspection, self-awareness, and insightful disclosures helpful to the therapeutic process. Some studies even show that equine therapy is superior, on some levels, to traditional talk therapy since you don’t even need to speak in order to communicate with the horses.
In 2008, at the East Mountain Youth Lodge, Dr. JoAnn Jarolmen, a social worker, conducted a pilot study on equine therapy for troubled youth. She studied 13 teenagers who took part in a program called HorseTime, founded by Kathy Krupa, an Equine Growth and Learning Association certified instructor. Dr. Jarolmen found that, after working with the horses, the teenagers were less angry and aggressive, improved their relationships with their parents and peers, and had fewer suicidal tendencies.
A 2005 study conducted by a Master's student at Denver seminary for the degree of Counseling Psychotherapy also had similar findings, as at-risk adolescents, age 12-18 who participated in an equine-assisted therapy program demonstrated better psychosocial functioning compared to those who did not. While improved psychosocial functioning will not guarantee reduced suicide risk, it can certainly be considered to be associated with it.
Suicide is a very complex problem, and one that is not completely understood, however, finding effective interventions is an important step in beginning to reduce the risk. With the findings mentioned above, equine-assisted therapy may just be a promising treatment for those exhibiting suicidal tendencies.
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RISKS
I implore any individual considering any form of EAA* or EAT** to consult with their physician or any related doctor before beginning this form of therapy. It is highly important that you are well aware of the risks of participating in this form of therapy, which sometimes may be entirely related to the health issue too. If you have any queries or suggestions please leave a comment below or reach out to me through the Contact Form on the Home page.
*Equine-Assisted Activities
**Equine-Assisted Therapy
Visit the "Current medical use of horses" post to gain more clarity about the interventions for specific modalities: https://www.equineinsight.info/post/current-medical-use-of-horses
If you have any comments or suggestions, reach out to me via the comment section or the Contact Form on the Home page.
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