The Preliminary Efficacy of an Equine-Assisted Social-Emotional Learning Program for Youth with Diminished Social-Emotional Competencies

Background Amid the youth mental health crisis, schools are uniquely positioned to help build social-emotional competencies in students, which may protect against adverse outcomes. Equine-assisted learning is one approach to teaching social-emotional competencies in an experiential setting, ideal for underengaged students. Purpose The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a school-based equine-assisted social-emotional learning program in the United States for youth with diminished social-emotional competencies. Method We implemented a randomized waitlist-controlled trial. Thirty-one students from six middle schools were randomized by school to receive 8 weeks of an equine-assisted social-emotional learning program, or first entered a waitlist condition before participating in the program. Outcomes included parent and teacher-reported social-emotional competencies; student-reported depression, anxiety, and self-efficacy; and school-reported absences and behavioral referrals. Findings Parents and teachers reported improved student social-emotional competencies after participation in equine-assisted social-emotional learning ( p < .01), but not after the waitlist control condition ( p > .05). Implications Our findings demonstrate meaningful improvements in social-emotional competencies among a small sample of students in an 8-week equine-assisted social-emotional learning program. These results suggest that targeted, experiential interventions such as equine-assisted learning can serve as valuable resources for supporting social-emotional skill development and represent a promising addition to school-based partnerships.