Horses supporting the social inclusion of young people with disabilities: A case study from Ireland.

INTRODUCTION: Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are recognised practices useful to enhance the social inclusion of people through interaction with nature and animals. Despite their perceived benefit, much of the preceding literature focuses on the limited evidence base for the impact of AAIs, due to a limited number of studies conducted with randomised control trials. The purpose of this research is to explore the experiences of young people with disabilities engaging in an equestrian training programme in Ireland, showcasing AAIs as a means of social inclusion. METHODS: This article reports on one component from a PhD on nature-based interventions and the social inclusion of young people in precarious situations. The research was a qualitative, exploratory study involving participant observations of eight young people engaging in the programme, and one semi-structured interview with a programme participant. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify key themes. FINDINGS: An analysis of the data identified four main themes: the importance of the human-animal bond; the natural environment aiding learning; the calming effect of horses on the students; and, centring animal welfare in the programme. CONCLUSION: This article advocates that social work and relevant disciplines can consider AAIs as innovative and beneficial for some young people engaged in their services, such as for the social inclusion of young people with disabilities. Additionally, this article suggests that, when centring animal welfare guidelines in these programmes, AAIs can also serve to protect the health and wellbeing of the non-human animal involved.