08/29/2026
GREAT read about the benefits of horsemanship for teens! Empathy, compassion, consideration. We see it every day!
Exciting new research from CSU Equine Sciences is highlighting the potential for horses to support social-emotional learning in youth!
Published in the Journal of Experiential Education, the study evaluated Changing Leads, an 8-week equine-assisted social-emotional learning program delivered through a partnership with Hearts & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center. Thirty-one middle school students from six schools participated in the randomized, waitlist-controlled study.
Following participation in the program, both parents and teachers reported significant improvements in students’ overall social-emotional competencies. Improvements included skills such as social awareness, self-management, relationship skills, decision-making, and optimistic thinking. Importantly, teachers were masked to the purpose of the study, providing an additional measure of the program’s impact beyond parent-reported outcomes.
These preliminary findings provide promising evidence that equine-assisted learning can be a valuable targeted resource for students who may need additional social-emotional support beyond traditional school-based programming.
Congratulations to lead author Sarah Matlock and the entire collaborative team from CSU Department of Animal Sciences, the CSU-School of Education, the Temple Grandin Equine Center, CSU Department of Occupational Therapy, and Hearts & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center on this important contribution to the growing science behind equine-assisted services!
