• Makenna L Pahlke, Karl H Hoopes, Heather F Black, Heather Connelly, William R Klinger, Katryna Joubert, Elena E Nazarenko, William R Marchand, and Stephen R Sheppard.
• Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.
• Mil Med. 2024 Jul 13.

IntroductionEquine-assisted services have been gaining popularity as complementary therapies for a variety of populations with a diversity of diagnoses. Interventions using equines might benefit the military Veteran population through building therapeutic alliance as well as reducing symptoms. This pilot observational study is primarily aimed to investigate safety, feasibility, and acceptability of equine-assisted services for Veterans with substance abuse disorders. It is the second pilot observational study, the first being completed in 2022. Secondary outcomes included recording the impact of trail riding on psychological measures among Veterans at a large Veterans Administration medical center.MethodsThe study included a total of 32 Veterans who participated in trail riding sessions from May 4, 2022 to August 31, 2022. The study utilized the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Adult Hope Scale, and Craving Experience Questionnaire to assess changes in positive affect, negative affect, hope components, and substance craving.ResultsThe results indicated significant reductions in negative affect and substance craving after the first session, with positive effects observed in subsequent sessions. However, demographic and diagnostic variables did not predict significant changes in psychological instruments.ConclusionOverall, the study demonstrated that trail riding was a safe and feasible intervention and may have potential benefits for improving emotional well-being and reducing substance cravings among Veterans. It is recommended that future studies research mechanisms of action, as well as conduct more rigorous investigations, including controlled trials using larger sample sizes and longitudinal research, to best determine lasting effects of these types of complementary therapies.© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2024. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site–for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.

15 keywords...

hide…