Can an Equine-Assisted Learning Course Improve Emotional Intelligence in Undergraduate Students?

Background: Emotional intelligence, a construct that many experts consider an essential component of life success, is moving in a concerning direction among American college students. Equine-assisted interventions may be an innovative modality for influencing these skills. Purpose: This study explores the effectiveness of a 15-week equine-assisted experiential learning course on emotional intelligence among undergraduate college students. Methodology/Approach: The intervention group consisted of 18 students who participated in a three-credit psychology course entitled Horses for Interpersonal Skills, which involved classroom instruction and an equine-assisted learning (EAL) component. This group was compared to a no intervention sample of 26 students enrolled in a three-credit lecture-based introductory psychology course. Findings/Conclusions: Emotional intelligence scores were compared at baseline and post intervention for both groups. While results were not significant, this study found that trait emotional intelligence scores as measured by the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, Short Form (TEIQue-SF) increased by 10 points among students enrolled in the EAL course, compared to the control group whose emotional intelligence increased by a half point over a 15-week period. Implications: Results of this small study suggest that emotional intelligence can be changed and enhanced in the short term. The EAL course may serve as an early template for future programs interested in more critical exploration of EAL as a unique intervention for college students to develop and refine essential interpersonal skills.