Benefits of horseback riding for neurotypical children and adolescents: a scoping review.
Flaviana Gomes da Silva, Danielle Diniz de Paula, Luciana Mendonça Alves and 1 others
PMID 40172376WHAT IT FOUND
Horse riding showed mixed results for neurotypical children.
Two randomized trials found improved social competence, but non-randomized studies varied widely in cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Evidence quality was low, with most studies having moderate risk of bias.
Key findings
01Two randomized clinical trials reported significant improvements in social competence after horse riding interventions.
02Non-randomized studies reported improvements in specific cognitive domains like memory and verbal fluency, but findings were inconsistent across studies.
03The overall certainty of evidence is low because most included studies were non-randomized with moderate risk of bias, and meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review included only six studies, limiting the breadth of evidence. Most studies were non-randomized with moderate risk of bias, reducing confidence in the findings. Interventions varied widely in duration, frequency, and type (horse riding vs. equine-assisted therapy), making direct comparisons difficult. Outcome measures were heterogeneous, preventing meta-analysis. The review excluded individuals with disabilities, so findings do not apply to clinical populations commonly treated by therapists. Long-term follow-up data were scarce, with only one study reporting outcomes at one year.
Declared interests
The authors declared no financial support and no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reported cognitive and language gains as robust clinical evidence. These findings came from non-randomized studies with moderate risk of bias, and the two randomized trials only confirmed improvements in social competence, not cognitive or language skills.