Paper
Thursday, 20 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Strategies for Child and Adolescent Health
Equine-Assisted Learning: A Culturally Appropriate Mental Health Promotion for New Mexican Children
Pamela N. Schultz, PhD, RN, Department of Nursing, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA and G. Ann Remick-Barlow, Equine assisted Youth Programs, Las Cruces, NM, USA.
Learning Objective #1: The learner will be able to describe equine-assisted learning.
Learning Objective #2: The learner will be able to discuss how equine-assisted learning is useful in mental health promotion.
Equine-assisted learning (EAL) is a program that pairs individuals and horses together to build upon the unique human/horse bond that facilitates learning. Horses have several characteristics that are similar to humans in their behavioral responses and social structures, thus providing a mirror for the individual to gain insight in a unique and non-threatening environment. The horse is a large, powerful animal that commands respect and elicits fear. Overcoming these obstacles and building a relationship promotes confidence, relationship skills and problem solving skills. Using specific techniques that involve the horse, individuals are able to build confidence, improve communication, and gain personal insight. The purpose of this study was to promote mental health in New Mexican children using EAL in a one-week summer camp environment. Twenty-one children ages 5-17 years enrolled in a one-week summer camp designed to promote mental health through EAL. The Beck Youth Inventory (BYI) is an instrument designed to measure, self-concept, anxiety, depression, anger and disruptive behavior in children and adolescents. The BYI was administered before the camp was begun and at the final day of the camp. Self concept scores improved, anxiety scores significantly decreased, depression scores decreased, anger was reduced, and disruptive behaviors were also reduced. It is not known when children develop specific psychological problems and the developmental course is also unknown; therefore, mental health prevention programs are difficult to assess. However it has been suggested that preventative interventions may enhance protective factors reducing the risk of psychological problems. The human/horse connection is a powerful one and works very well in the Southwest. The idea of using horses is culturally appropriate and has the potential for being widely accepted within the southwestern culture. Larger studies should be done to further understand the mechanism of action of EAL.

See more of Strategies for Child and Adolescent Health
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)