Hannah’s original post highlighted the Man O’ War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The project studied a structured equine-assisted therapy program for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What researchers studied
In a study published in 2021, veterans attended eight weekly group sessions led by a mental health professional and an equine specialist. The researchers reported improvements in PTSD and depression symptoms after the program and at a three-month follow-up. The study used an open design, so the results support further research and cannot establish how equine-assisted therapy compares with other treatments.
Read Columbia University’s Man O’ War Project research summary. For Hannah’s local practice, see Equine-assisted psychotherapy on Colorado’s Western Slope.