Faculty Advisor(s)
Kathleen Hughes-Butcher
Files
Abstract
Holistic Healing through Horses: An Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Equine-Assisted Services and Associated Pilot Program was an occupational therapy doctoral capstone project conducted through Misericordia University. This project involved the implementation of equine-assisted services to improve occupational capabilities of physically disabled community-dwelling adults and research related to interdisciplinary collaboration in the equine-assisted service industry. The education component of this capstone disseminated information regarding safe techniques and procedures for volunteers involved in the Holistic Healing through Horses program. The program component of Holistic Healing through Horses involved 12 weekly sessions designed to target goal areas of the respective participants. Progress tracking of occupation-based goals and clinical pathways for skill progression were utilized to design these sessions. Results indicated marked individualized improvements in strength, range of motion, quality of life, occupational performance, and participation. The research component, Holistic Healing through Horses: Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Evaluation in Equine-Assisted Services, an anonymous online survey, aimed to increase knowledge regarding perceived benefits and barriers of equine-assisted service provision in an interdisciplinary context. The survey gathered feedback regarding the use of the novel Equine-Assisted Services Evaluation Tool. Results indicated that there is a lack of clear, structured interdisciplinary collaboration between professionals providing equine-assisted services and desire for hands-on training and structured assessment tools. The Occupation-Based Practice in Equine-Assisted Services manual, a comprehensive guide to encouraging the practice of equine-assisted services, was then developed to encourage service providers to consider and prioritize the daily occupations of respective clients and to encourage future initiatives in this domain.
Publication Date
2026
Document Type
Poster
Department
Occupational Therapy
Keywords
occupational therapy, animal-assisted, hippotherapy, equine-assisted services, interdisciplinary
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Occupational Therapy | Rehabilitation and Therapy
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Balestrini, Catherine M. and Hughes-Butcher, Kathleen, "Holistic Healing through Horses: An Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Equine-Assisted Services and Associated Pilot Program" (2026). Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2026. 4.
https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/otd_capstone2026/4