Equine-Assisted Therapeutic Intervention in Institutionalized Children: Case Studies

Abstract

A significant number of institutionalized children have behavior problems. Socio-emotional skills are fundamental for their adaptation and success throughout life and are usually weakened in this population. Equine-assisted services (EAS) are a form of therapeutic mediation that facilitates and requires the practitioner’s participation, contributing to the promotion of various psychomotor and socio-emotional dimensions. This study was developed during 17 sessions of EAS with a psychomotor intervention, which took place individually and weekly and lasted approximately 45 min, with three institutionalized children. A quantitative and qualitative assessment was carried out before and after the intervention to study the effects of an EAS intervention on socio-emotional competencies in the three institutionalized children. There was an improvement in skills, with an impact on intrapersonal skills and marked improvement in self-regulation and self-control, in addition to an improvement in the intentionality of movement and adequacy of gesture to the context. This type of intervention underlies a renewed educational and therapeutic approach, contributing to mental health promotion in this population.