The effect of a horse therapy training program on some psychological indicators and sensory-motor function in aggressive children

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a horse therapy training program on some psychological indicators and sensory-motor function in aggressive children. The present study was applied and in terms of causal and comparative methods. Twenty aggressive children aged 4 to 6 years (selected by purposive sampling), participants were divided into experimental and control groups and 10 people were randomly assigned to each group. The instruments used included Connors psychological nerve test, Aggression Questionnaire in preschool children, and Espense child anxiety scale for parents. The protocol was performed for sixteen weeks and two two-hour sessions each week. After the intervention, the two groups were compared using analysis of covariance. Findings showed that a course of equine therapy training program has an effect on psychological indicators and sensory-motor function of aggressive children (P <0.01). The use of equine therapy protocol is effective in improving the treatment process of aggression and associated psychological factors such as attention deficit and anxiety (P> 0.05). Based on this finding, the level of attention also shows improvement after the treatment period. It seems that equine therapy can improve attention and reduce aggression in children, it is recommended that psychotherapists use these exercises along with other pediatric interventions to improve attention and reduce aggression.