Scientists Say Riding Horses Can Help Cure Addiction

Addiction is a major ongoing issue in the world. But scientists have found a way to help break ties to substance abuse that doesn't require any form of medication, and which has been readily available for centuries: Riding horses.

Thoroughbred therapy — a quickly growing area of interest within the medical community— has been proven to enhance patients’ moods and quality of life, according to scientists, StudyFinds reports. New clinics are popping up known as equine clinics, where a patient can interact with and ride horses to help reduce blood pressure, anxiety and stress levels.

Recent findings also show that this therapy can effectively combat substance abuse.

There is certainly no shortage of horses in America: A quick search indicates that there are roughly 7.25 million horses in America alone. In fact, the equestrian industry employs almost one million Americans across the country. So, it would really just be a matter of people and companies catching onto this trend and building the proper facilities to make the idea more mainstream.

The findings are based on a study involving 57 hospitalized participants, 39 of them enrolled in an experimental project called EFPP (Equine Facilitated Psychiatry and Psychology). After four two-hour sessions, these participants scored higher on the Assessment of Quality of Life Test than 18 of their peers who did not participate in the project. Surprisingly, the participants’ scores were approximately double that of a healthy population.

So many of us see and interact with horses on a semi-regular basis, but may not have realized how much this time with the gentle beasts is helping our mindset or addictions. Hopefully more of these equine clinics start to pop up and this becomes a normalized way to approach substance abuse without medication.

Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 120 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today's top stars, like Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, Morgan Wallen + more!