“Everything’s just better”: the impact of equine-assisted therapy for men detained in a forensic intellectual disability medium secure hospital

Purpose In equine-assisted therapy (EAT), service users, clinicians, horse behaviourists and horses work together. This project aimed to explore the impact of providing EAT sessions at a Medium Secure Forensic Intellectual Disability Hospital. Design/methodology/approach The project was co-designed with a service user and considered the impact of EAT through therapy process, and impact on life in the hospital, while monitoring incident data. Sixteen service users participated. Findings Service users experienced EAT as a space where they could learn, feel calm, make relationships, create positive connections and feel empowered. Perceptions of life in the hospital changed: service users said EAT bought fun, motivation, a sense of freedom and they began to think about their futures. Originality/value EAT is a psychosocial intervention in which service users, mental health clinicians, horse behaviourists and horses work together towards treatment goals. The expansion of EAT in many different populations has meant that as the practice develops, there is little evidence to support the success claimed by EAT. EAT was set up in a Medium Secure Forensic Intellectual Disability hospital. The hospital team were keen to develop novel approaches to support quicker progress through and discharges from hospital, in line with the Transforming Care Agenda (2015). This purpose of this study was to provide some evidence about its effectiveness.