Effectiveness of a Standardized Equine-Assisted Therapy Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Badia et al. (2016) ran a fair horse test. They flipped a coin to place kids with autism into two groups. One group rode horses in a set program. The other group waited on the list.

They watched who got better at talking, playing, and moving. The kids had average or high IQ scores.

After the program, the horse kids talked and played with others more. They also moved a little better and thought a little faster. The wait-list kids stayed the same.

The gains were small but real. Social skills showed the clearest jump.

Peters et al. (2022) did almost the same test. They swapped riding lessons for OT on horseback. Their kids also got friendlier. Two RCTs, two wins for horse time.

Han et al. (2025) looked at 25 ABA studies. They say ABA gives small gains too. Horse therapy fits right in with that low-but-useful zone.

Scorzato et al. (2017) tried dogs instead of horses. Adults with ID smiled more after dog visits. Same idea, new animal, older crowd.

You now have a cheap, fun add-on that parents like. If a child with ASD already gets ABA, tack on a six-week riding block. Track social initiations before and after. You may see a quick boost with almost no extra table time.