1. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, September/October 2021: Equine-Assisted Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Military Veterans, by Fisher, P.W. et al.

At the Bergen Equestrian Center from 2016 to 2019, researchers from the New York State Psychiatric Institute and the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry found their EAP intervention helped 63 veterans with PTSD achieve “marked reductions in both clinician-rated and self-reported PTSD and depression symptoms, which persisted at 3-month follow-up.”

2. Another article breaking down the results of this study discovered “a significant increase in caudate functional connectivity (FC) and reduction in the gray matter density of the thalamus and caudate” through MRI exams of 19 participants. This increased connectivity in this area of the brain is associated with reductions in symptoms of PTSD.

3. The Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 2021: Equine-assisted psychotherapy with traumatized couples – Improvement of relationship quality and psychological symptoms, by Willmund, G. et al.

The German Armed Forces Center for Military Mental Health in Berlin assisted 20 couples, military personnel with PTSD and their partners, with EAGALA interventions. A therapy group received EAGALA, while a control group received no intervention. They found “numerous significant improvements occurred in the therapy group in the areas of current, somatic and communication problems, depressive symptoms and partnership quality but not in the control group.”

4. Military Medical Research, 2019: Equine-assisted interventions for veterans with service-related health conditions: a systematic mapping review, by Kinney et al.

This review of six studies that focused on equine-assisted interventions for veterans has a strong focus on PATH techniques, yet there is a good amount of overlap between what does in both EAGALA and PATH sessions. They found the studies “yielded promising results…equine-assisted interventions may encourage veterans to endorse a more positive appraisal of themselves and their relationship with the world.”

5. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 2017: Stress Management for College Students: An Experiential Multi-Modal Approach, by Morgan, B.

This quasi-experimental study helped 42 college-aged students reduce their stress scores by 35% through three EAGALA sessions. Interestingly, the other stress-reducing activities offered – yoga and mindfulness hiking – achieved the same levels of stress reduction as the EAGALA sessions.

6. Journal of Traumatic Stress, April 2015: Equine-Assisted Therapy for Anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, by Earles, J.L. et al.

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University worked with 16 volunteers who had been diagnosed with PTSD. After six EAGALA sessions, their scores related to their PTSD and anxiety symptoms declined by 25%.

7. The Practitioner Scholar: Journal of Counseling and Professional Psychology, 2014: Adding Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy to Conventional Treatments: A Pilot Study Exploring Ways to Increase Adult Female Self-Efficacy among Victims of Interpersonal Violence, by Whittlesey-Jerome, W. K.

In this study, 13 women who had been victimized by domestic violence received eight weeks of EAGALA sessions in addition to individual and group therapy. These participants showed “greater improvement across self-efficacy, depression, and general functioning,” although not a great deal more than the participants in a ‘treatment-as-usual’ group.

8. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2014: Equine Facilitated Therapy with Children and Adolescents Who Have been Sexually Abused: A Program Evaluation Study, by Kemp, K. et al.

This pilot study of 15 children and 15 adolescents in Australia who were being treated for sexual abuse found: “Overall, the current study has demonstrated that Equine Therapy using EAGALA methods is an effective therapeutic approach when working to alleviate trauma symptoms for children and adolescents who have been sexually abused.”