Impact and future of horse association community service youth programs from the perspective of the community partner

As mental health concerns for youth have grown, the need for alternative approaches to address these challenges has become paramount. While not a therapeutic intervention, volunteerism facilitates positive feelings within volunteers. Volunteers within the equine environment have the additional benefit of interacting with the horse. As such, youth can benefit from volunteering through community service programs offered through horse associations. These opportunities, however, require community partners, specifically equine professionals affiliated with these organizations willing to work with youth during community service activities within the equine environment. Thus, the objective of this study was to explore perspectives of community partners regarding the impact of community service youth activities offered through horse associations to determine future engagement and growth of these programs. Representatives from horse associations within the United States identified community partners affiliated with their association that offer youth community service opportunities within the equine environment. Participant recruitment was accomplished through the horse association state affiliates. Face-to-face interview survey methodology was utilized with community partners (n = 26) taking part in a semi-structured survey instrument with 14 open-ended questions. All community partners required youth to be 13+ years of age with the majority (54%, n = 14) working with at least 10 youth per year. All partners offered service opportunities at horse shows, although additional outlets included equine-assisted services (19%, n = 5), clinics (8%, n = 2), and trail rides (4%, n = 1). Partners identified finances (85%, n = 22) and time commitment (92%, n = 24) as negative aspects of these programs with increasing recruitment efforts (54%, n = 14) for funds and partners indicated as a resolution to these drawbacks. Half of the partners (50%, n = 13) suggested expanding youth involvement to reach underserved youth. Reasons for offering these opportunities included needing help with the event (81%, n = 21), expanding youth involvement within the association (73%, n = 19), and enjoyment in interacting with youth (54%, n = 14). Partners suggested using social media to reach a wider youth audience for increasing recruitment efforts (46%, n = 12) and hosting training opportunities to educate the youth before events (31%, n = 8). These results suggest community partners are invested in these youth programs offered through horse associations, permitting potential growth for horse associations to collaborate with these partners.