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New research from the University of Colorado Anschutz provides strong evidence that horseback riding can help reduce hyperactivity and improve other behavioral and emotional challenges in children with autism and other psychiatric disorders.

The study, published today in Pediatrics, builds on earlier research showing benefits from eight to 10 weeks of therapeutic horseback riding for children with autism. Researchers wanted to determine whether those findings could be replicated at two different riding centers and whether learning about horses—without interacting with or riding them—could provide similar benefits.

The new study involved children with autism and a co-occurring psychiatric diagnosis who participated in one of three groups: horseback riding, horse-related barn activities without horse contact and a waiting list control group.

The researchers found that children in the riding group experienced significantly greater improvements in hyperactivity compared with children in the other groups. Improvements were also seen in both equine activity interventions (riding and barn groups) compared with the waiting list group in areas including irritability, emotional regulation and social functioning.

, a professor of psychiatry and licensed clinical psychologist at CU Anschutz and Children's Hospital Colorado.

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