Equine asisted therapy centers in Türkiye and characteristics of horses in these centers

This study was carried out to determine some characteristics of equine therapy centers in Türkiye and the horses in the centers. The study was carried out in a total of 25 horse therapy centers, including 16 public and 9 private centers. The material of the study consisted of data obtained from surveys conducted with individuals in the relevant centers and evaluations made based on these data. In this study, it was found that the 25 horse therapy centers have been operating for an average of 6.5 years, with the highest number of treatments being for Autism (84.0%), Cerebral Palsy (64.0%), and Down Syndrome (60.0%). The majority of treated patients were between the ages of 7-18, and it was determined that patients were mostly referred to the centers through social media. Among the examined centers, 12 had both indoor and outdoor arenas, and treatment was conducted on sand surfaces in 20 centers. It was found that no fees were charged for treatment in 60.0% of the centers, while in centers where fees were charged, they were covered by the patients or their families. The average number of horses in the centers is 4±0.64, and 96.0% of the horses were obtained domestically. Of the horses, 47.1% are pony-crossbreeds, 35.3% are hybrids, 31.0% are male, and 19.0% are castrated. The average age is determined to be 13±0.6, with an average live weight of 372.0±14.63 kg for the selected therapy horses. During the selection process, emphasis is placed on temperament and withers height. In centers where % of the horses have a calm temperament, no training is provided to the therapy horses, while in centers, where provide training, the horses receive desensitization training (32.0 %) to the maximum extent. The average daily working time for therapy purposes is approximately 170±20.4 minutes, with the longest working time within a day being 480 minutes. Consequently, although the centers have a sufficient number of horses with suitable physical characteristics, they are found to be inadequate in terms of having a qualified therapy team and ensuring therapy safety. The conducted therapy practices are generally deemed to be lacking in technical and scientific aspects.