Brief report: Impact of a horseback riding lesson on youth well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescents were at a high risk of experiencing anxiety and stress which undoubtedly had a negative impact on their psychological well-being. While research has shown that canine interactions during this time were beneficial for young people’s well-being, the impact of horse-human activities has not been examined outside of at-risk youth and populations with psychological and/or physical conditions. This pilot study examined whether a recreational horseback riding lesson held during the height of the pandemic improved the well-being of non-at-risk, neurotypical youth. Using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children (Ebesutani et al., 2012 [36]), the mood and stress of beginner/novice riders (n = 16) at a local stable were evaluated before and after the lesson. The Human-Animal Interaction Scale (Fournier et al., 2016 [38]) was also used to assess the quality of the horse-rider interaction to examine its potential impact on the efficacy of riding in improving psychological well-being. Results found a significant increase in positive affect and decrease in negative affect after the lesson compared to before. However, these effects appear to be driven by the group of riders that had a higher quality interaction with their horse. Overall, this study provides initial support for the efficacy of horseback riding for improving well-being in neurotypical, non-at-risk children, and demonstrates that the quality of the interaction between the horse and rider likely plays an important role.