Table 3 Detailed descriptions of various equine-assisted interventions involved

Body language and communication

Verbal and nonverbal language and body language towards horses or humans

Ride the horse

Mounted activities including walking, trotting, cantering, steering, riding around an obstacle course, etc.

Groundwork

Unmounted activities that involve leading the horse with or without the halter, work in the round pen, leading the horse around an obstacle course, ground exercises such as stopping, turning, backing up, etc.

Groom the horse

Grooming, bathing, picking hooves

Get to know the horse

Observing the horse in the pasture or stall, intentional time spent becoming acquainted with the horse

Matching horse and participant

Intentional matching, either participant chooses horse or the instructor/therapist matches horse to the participant

Care for the horse

Feeding, cleaning stalls, turning a horse out or in from pasture, barn work related to horse care or article specifically referencing caring for a horse

Social activities

Intentional activities to promote socialization such as sharing a meal with other veterans or pairing a veteran volunteer with a participant

Mounted exercises

Participant completes stretching and strengthening exercises while riding the horse or rides in different positions (sitting backwards, sideways, or prone)

Tack the horse

Activities involving putting tack (bridle, saddle pad, saddle) on or untacking

Safety behaviors

Activities focused on safety around the horses

Connections to daily life

Relating concepts learned from activities with the horse to the participant’s daily life, this could be through conversation or metaphor

Family participation

Spouses or family partners participated during the session

Integration of therapeutic practices

Implementing other therapeutic methods into EAAT practice such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, motivational interviewing, or reality testing