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A Prospective Study of Horse-Assisted Therapy for Young Adults

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A prospective study published in Addiction Science & Clinical Practice examined how Horse-Assisted Therapy (HAT) affects treatment success for young adults with substance use disorders (SUDs) at Oslo University Hospital. Retaining patients in treatment is one of the greatest challenges in addiction care, with dropout rates often exceeding 50%. This study tested whether adding horses to the therapeutic process could help.


What They Did

  • Participants: 108 patients (ages 16–35) in residential or day treatment, tracked over 18 months.

  • Groups: 43 received standard treatment as usual (TAU); 65 received TAU plus horse-assisted therapy.

  • Program: HAT included 12 sessions of body-oriented psychotherapy with horses, emphasizing skills like boundary-setting, trust, responsibility, and emotional regulation.

  • Measures: Treatment completion, length of stay, and whether patients reached the critical 90-day threshold often linked with positive outcomes.


Key Findings

  • Completion Rates: 57% of HAT participants completed treatment, compared with just 14% of non-HAT participants.

  • Time in Treatment: HAT patients stayed an average of 141 days—double that of non-HAT patients (70 days).

  • 90-Day Benchmark: HAT patients were nearly 4 times more likely to remain in treatment at least 90 days.

  • Adjusted Odds: After controlling for age, gender, substance severity, and other factors, HAT participants were 8 times more likely to complete treatment.


Why It Matters

While this naturalistic study cannot prove causation, the results are striking: integrating horses into therapy was strongly associated with longer retention and higher completion rates. Since both duration and completion are key predictors of recovery, HAT may offer a powerful motivator and stabilizing force for young adults battling addiction.


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