- A new book of essays compiled by Dr. Lori Kogan explores the benefits of equine-assisted services.
- This collection of science-based essays is important for anyone interested in animal-assisted services.
- The human-horse relationship can be powerful, but it only works when the welfare of the horse is prioritized.
Horses are deeply emotional beings and have been shown to be able to help adults and children heal from a variety of psychological and physical conditions.1 For this and other reasons, I was very pleased to learn of a new collection of essays compiled by Colorado State University Professor of Clinical Studies Dr. Lori Kogan in a book titled Equine-Assisted Services: Studies Illustrating the Potential Benefits for Children, Adolescents and Adults. In this book, a wide array of scholars explore research pertaining to equine interventions for conditions including anxiety, life skills, neurodiversity, well-being, family violence, and more while taking into account the well-being of all of the participants including the horses. (A preview can be found here.) I often think that the emotions shared between horses (and other animals) and humans work as a “social glue” that help to build and maintain mutually important social bonds.
Here’s what Lori had to say about this excellent research-based collection of essays on the critical importance and diverse nature of animal-human bonds.
Marc Bekoff: Why did you assemble the essays for Equine-Assisted Services and how did you select the contributors?…