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Not Just Horsing Around: The Impact of Equine-Assisted Learning on Levels of Hope and Depression in At-Risk Adolescents

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A study published in the Community Mental Health Journal investigated how Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) impacts hope and depression in at-risk adolescents. While most equine studies are anecdotal or qualitative, this research used an experimental design to test whether even a short program could make a measurable difference.


What They Did

  • Participants: 26 middle and high school students in Texas, all meeting state “at-risk” criteria (e.g., academic struggles, grade retention, pregnancy/parenting, etc.).

  • Groups: Randomly assigned to either 5 weeks of EAL (treatment) or treatment-as-usual (control). Control students were later offered EAL to ensure fairness.

  • Program: The L.A.S.S.O. curriculum (Leading Adolescents to Successful School Outcomes) used ground-based horse activities focused on obstacles, vulnerabilities, goal-setting, and communication.

  • Measures: Hope (Adolescent Domain-Specific Hope Scale) and depression (Major Depression Inventory) were tracked across six time points.


Key Findings

  • Increased Hope: Teens in the EAL group showed a significant rise in hope compared to controls, with medium to strong effect sizes. Hope continued to climb through the program and was still higher six months later for most participants.

  • Reduced Depression: Depression scores in the EAL group consistently declined, while control scores fluctuated. Though not always statistically significant at every point, overall trends showed meaningful improvement.

  • Sustainable Change: Follow-up data confirmed that gains in hope and reductions in depression were largely maintained months after the program.


Why It Matters

Adolescence is a critical period where positive interventions can shape life trajectories. This study shows that even a brief, cost-effective, 5-week equine-assisted program can meaningfully boost hope and ease depression in vulnerable teens. By helping them build trust, resilience, and problem-solving skills through working with horses, EAL offers a unique pathway to support at-risk youth in schools and communities.


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