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A new study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus suggests that structured activities involving horses may help improve hyperactivity, emotional regulation and social functioning in children with autism and co-occurring psychiatric conditions. For some children with autism, managing hyperactivity, irritability and emotional regulation can be challenging, and conventional treatments do not work equally well for everyone. Now, researchers have found that an unconventional intervention involving horses may offer additional support. A new study published in journal American Academy of pediatrics by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus found that therapeutic horseback riding was associated with greater improvements in hyperactivity among children with autism and another psychiatric diagnosis. The research, supported by the US National Institutes of Health and published in Pediatrics, also found improvements in irritability, emotional regulation and social functioning among children who participated in horse-related activities, even when they did not actually ride or come into direct contact with horses.
What Did The Study Find?
The researchers studied children with autism who also had a co-occurring psychiatric diagnosis. The participants were divided into three groups. One group took part in therapeutic horseback riding. A second participated in horse-related activities at a barn but did not ride or interact directly with horses. The third group was placed on a waitlist and did not participate in either intervention during the study period.
The most notable finding was seen in the horseback-riding group. These children showed significantly greater improvements in hyperactivity compared with children in the other two groups. However, the potential benefits were not limited to riding. Both groups participating in equine-related activities showed improvements compared with the waitlist group in areas such as irritability, emotional regulation and social functioning. The findings suggest that structured activities around horses may have benefits beyond the physical act of riding.
Why Could Horseback Riding Help Children With Hyperactivity?
The researchers believe that the interaction between children and horses may create opportunities to develop behavioural and emotional skills in a setting that differs from a conventional clinical environment.
"Horses are very accepting, and they respond to body language," Robin Gabriels, PsyD, MA, professor of psychiatry at CU Anschutz and licensed clinical psychologist at Children's Hospital Colorado, said in a statement.
This interaction may encourage children to pay attention to their own body language, respond to another living being and practise communication and emotional regulation. Horseback riding also requires a child to remain engaged with the horse, follow instructions and coordinate physical movements. These activities may provide a structured way to work on attention, motor control and behavioural regulation. However, the researchers stress that more work is needed to understand exactly which components of equine-assisted interventions are responsible for the observed improvements.
Do Children Need To Ride A Horse To Benefit?
Interestingly, the study suggests that riding may not be the only potentially useful component. Children in the non-riding group participated in horse-related activities at the barn without direct contact with horses. Activities included learning about horses and using a life-sized stuffed horse.
This could be particularly relevant for children who are uncomfortable around animals, are not physically ready to ride or cannot safely participate in horseback riding.
According to Gabriels, being around horses can create opportunities for children to practise communication and emotional regulation in an environment that is different from a traditional clinical setting. The results therefore raise the possibility that equine-assisted programmes could be adapted according to a child's individual needs and comfort level.
Researchers Tested Whether Earlier Findings Could Be Repeated
The latest study was designed partly to address an important question in research: can earlier findings be reproduced in a different setting? Previous research by the team had suggested that eight to 10 weeks of therapeutic horseback riding could benefit children with autism.
For the new study, researchers deliberately conducted the intervention at Riding to the Top, a therapeutic riding centre near Windham, Maine, rather than at Hearts & Horses in Colorado, where their earlier work had been conducted. The researchers also worked with a different group of children, instructors and horses. The fact that improvements were observed again, particularly in hyperactivity among children who participated in riding, provides additional support for further research into equine-assisted interventions.
Why This Study Focused On Children With More Than One Diagnosis
The researchers specifically recruited children with autism and a co-occurring psychiatric diagnosis. This is significant because behavioural and emotional challenges can become more complex when autism occurs alongside another psychiatric condition. Earlier research by the team had found that around half of the children in their previous study had both autism and another psychiatric diagnosis.
The new research therefore explored whether therapeutic horseback riding could also be useful for this group, which may have more complex treatment needs. However, the findings should not be interpreted as evidence that horseback riding will work for every child with autism. Autism is a spectrum, and children can have very different sensory, behavioural, communication and physical needs. An intervention that works well for one child may not be suitable for another.
Could Horse-Based Therapy Become An Alternative To Medication?
The researchers suggest that equine-assisted therapy could potentially complement existing treatments for children experiencing hyperactivity and other behavioural difficulties. For some children, activities involving animals, movement and the outdoors may be particularly engaging. This could make them a useful addition to an individual's broader care plan.
However, the study does not establish that horseback riding should replace prescribed medication or established autism and psychiatric treatments. Medication decisions should always be made with a qualified healthcare professional based on the child's symptoms, diagnosis, overall health and treatment needs. Instead, the findings point towards the possibility of using structured horse-based programmes as an additional intervention for selected children.
What Happens Next?
The researchers plan to investigate the relationship between children, horses and therapeutic activities further. One of the key questions is understanding which elements of the intervention contribute most to improvements in behaviour and emotional functioning. Future research could help determine whether the benefits come primarily from riding, physical activity, interaction with horses, the structured environment, social engagement or a combination of these factors. For now, the findings add to growing evidence that carefully designed animal-assisted and activity-based interventions may have a role in supporting children with autism and co-occurring psychiatric conditions. As Gabriels noted, working with horses gives children an opportunity to participate in something that is active, social and engaging. For some children, that different environment may provide another way to practise skills that can be difficult to develop in conventional clinical settings.
Therapeutic horseback riding may offer a promising complementary approach for some children with autism, particularly those experiencing hyperactivity. The new study found the strongest improvement in hyperactivity among children who participated in riding, while both riding and non-riding horse-related activities were associated with improvements in areas including irritability, emotional regulation and social functioning. More research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn. Parents should discuss any new therapy with their child's healthcare team and consider the child's individual needs, safety and preferences before enrolling them in an equine-assisted programme.
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