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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Jan 19;5(1):3.
doi: 10.1186/s40779-018-0149-6.

Effects of therapeutic horseback riding on post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans

Rebecca A Johnson  1   2 , David L Albright  3 , James R Marzolf  4 , Jessica L Bibbo  5 , Hayley D Yaglom  6 , Sandra M Crowder  7 , Gretchen K Carlisle  7 , Amy Willard  8 , Cynthia L Russell  9 , Karen Grindler  10 , Steven Osterlind  11 , Marita Wassman  12 , Nathan Harms  8
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Free PMC article
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of therapeutic horseback riding on post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans

Rebecca A Johnson et al. Mil Med Res. .
Free PMC article

Abstract

Background: Large numbers of post-deployment U.S. veterans are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI), leading to an urgent need for effective interventions to reduce symptoms and increase veterans' coping. PTSD includes anxiety, flashbacks, and emotional numbing. The symptoms increase health care costs for stress-related illnesses and can make veterans' civilian life difficult.

Methods: We used a randomized wait-list controlled design with repeated measures of U.S. military veterans to address our specific aim to test the efficacy of a 6-week therapeutic horseback riding (THR) program for decreasing PTSD symptoms and increasing coping self-efficacy, emotion regulation, social and emotional loneliness. Fifty-seven participants were recruited and 29 enrolled in the randomized trial. They were randomly assigned to either the horse riding group (n = 15) or a wait-list control group (n = 14). The wait-list control group experienced a 6-week waiting period, while the horse riding group began THR. The wait-list control group began riding after 6 weeks of participating in the control group. Demographic and health history information was obtained from all the participants. PTSD symptoms were measured using the standardized PTSD Checklist-Military Version (PCL-M). The PCL-M as well as other instruments including, The Coping Self Efficacy Scale (CSES), The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and The Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults-short version (SELSA) were used to access different aspects of individual well-being and the PTSD symptoms.

Results: Participants had a statistically significant decrease in PTSD scores after 3 weeks of THR (P ≤ 0.01) as well as a statistically and clinically significant decrease after 6 weeks of THR (P ≤ 0.01). Logistic regression showed that participants had a 66.7% likelihood of having lower PTSD scores at 3 weeks and 87.5% likelihood at 6 weeks. Under the generalized linear model(GLM), our ANOVA findings for the coping self-efficacy, emotion regulation, and social and emotional loneliness did not reach statistical significance. The results for coping self-efficacy and emotion regulation trended in the predicted direction. Results for emotional loneliness were opposite the predicted direction. Logistic regression provided validation that outcome effects were caused by riding longer.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that THR may be a clinically effective intervention for alleviating PTSD symptoms in military veterans.

Keywords: Animal-assisted intervention; Coping self-efficacy; Emotion regulation; Military veterans; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Social engagement; Therapeutic horseback riding; Traumatic brain injury.

Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This material is the result of work supported with resources and the use of facilities at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, MO. The study had the approval of the VA Research and Development Committee at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, the University of Missouri Health Sciences Institutional Review Board (#1207664), and the university’s Animal Care and Use Committee (#7760). All participants completed the VA Research Consent Form, which had HS IRB approval. The HS IRB is the IRB of record for the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Participant flowchart. *The Riding group data comprise the data of the waitlist control group collected at 0-, 3-, and 6-weeks after THR following the  6-week waiting period and those of the treatment group collected at 0-, 3-, and 6-week after THR
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
PTSD means of Riding group over time by total number of weeks ridden. The purpose of these analyses was to ascertain whether the significant decrease in PTSD found at 3 weeks of riding was sustained at 6weeks. Each participant (n = 19) was tested whether or not they rode for all the 6 weeks
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