Equine Therapy Programme on Stress, Autonomy and Balance in School-age Children With Intellectual Disabilities

Influence of an Equine Therapy Programme on Variables Related to Stress, Autonomy and Balance in School-age Children With Intellectual Disabilities

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of an equine therapy programme on the emotional state and autonomy of school-aged individuals with intellectual disabilities. Methodology: pre-post quasi-experimental study of a single group. Study subjects: individuals with intellectual disabilities enrolled at the Cambrils special education school. Variables related to stress (salivary cortisol), balance, autonomy, vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, pulse oximetry) and clinical variables will be collected. Intervention: this will consist of 30 minutes of equine therapy and 30 minutes of activities related to horse care. All variables will be collected in an initial baseline measurement and some variables (stress, balance, autonomy and vital signs) will be monitored during and after the intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Intellectual Disability
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: EQUINE THERAPY

Detailed Description

Horse-assisted therapy (HAT) or equine therapy has been defined by the National Centre for Equine Facilitated Therapy as a treatment strategy that uses equine movement as part of a coordinated intervention programme to achieve physical, emotional, occupational, and cognitive goals. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of an equine therapy programme on the emotional state and autonomy of school-aged individuals with intellectual disabilities. Methodology: pre-post quasi-experimental study of a single group. The research will be carried out at the facilities of the Yabusan Equestrian Club. Study subjects: individuals with intellectual disabilities enrolled at the Cambrils special education school. Variables related to stress (salivary cortisol), balance, autonomy, vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, pulse oximetry), and clinical variables will be collected. Intervention: This will consist of 30 minutes of horse therapy in which the subject participates according to the degree of their disability. There are three types of therapy: hippotherapy, therapeutic riding, and adapted riding. The second intervention consists of 30 minutes of activities related to horse care (feeding, grooming, physical contact). Follow-up and data collection: all variables will be collected in an initial baseline measurement, and some variables (stress, balance, autonomy, and vital signs) will be monitored during and after the intervention.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Madrid
    • Madrid, Madrid, Spain, 28036
      • Paseo de La Habana 70 Bis

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age under 22 years.
• IQ equal to or less than 75.
• Recognised degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with adrenal gland disorders (Cushing's or Addison's disease).
• Subjects undergoing treatment with corticosteroids.
• Subjects with skin lesions in the area where the portable device is placed.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: EQUINE THERAPY; EQUINE THERAPY AND HORSE CARE	Other: EQUINE THERAPY; EQUINE THERAPY AND HORSE CARE

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
STRESS LEVEL-HEART RATE	Heart rate will be measured by Embraceplus™ device. It is a smartwatch. t will be measured in beats per minute.	Basal measurement before/after each session. On the day of the equine therapy sessions, subjects will wear the Embraceplus™ device for up to 4 hours before and after the session. Measurements every 15 days until the final of the Equine Therapy (3 months)
STRESS LEVEL-OXYGEN SATURATION	Oxygen saturation will be measured by Embraceplus™ device. It is a smartwatch. It will be measured as a percentage of spO2. This value indicates the proportion of haemoglobin in the blood that is bound to oxygen relative to the total haemoglobin available.	Basal measurement before/after each session. On the day of the equine therapy sessions, subjects will wear the Embraceplus™ device for up to 4 hours before and after the session. Measurements every 15 days until the final of the Equine Therapy (3 months)
STRESS LEVEL-RESPIRATORY RATE (RR)	Respiratory rate will be measured by Embraceplus™ device. It is a smartwatch. It will be measured as breaths per minute.	Basal measurement before/after each session. On the day of the equine therapy sessions, subjects will wear the Embraceplus™ device for up to 4 hours before and after the session. Measurements every 15 days until the final of the Equine Therapy (3 months)
STRESS LEVEL-BODY TEMPERATURE	Body temperature will be measured by Embraceplus™ device. It is a smartwatch. It will be measured in degrees Celsius.	Basal measurement before/after each session. On the day of the equine therapy sessions, subjects will wear the Embraceplus™ device for up to 4 hours before and after the session. Measurements every 15 days until the final of the Equine Therapy (3 months)
STRESS LEVEL-ELECTRODERMAL ACTIVITY (EDA)	Electrodermal Activity will be measured by Embraceplus™ device. It is a smartwatch. Electrodermal Activity is the variation in the electrical conductance of the skin caused by the activity of the sweat glands, regulated by the sympathetic autonomic nervous system, and is used to measure emotional arousal, stress, or physiological responses to stimuli, using electrodes that measure changes in skin resistance. It is useful in psychology, neuromarketing, and medicine to detect anxiety, depression, or autonomic neuropathy.	Measurement before and after each session. On the day of the equine therapy sessions, subjects will wear the Embraceplus™ device prior to and up to 4 hours after the end of the session.
AUTONOMY	The level of autonomy or dependency will be assessed through adaptive behaviour using the Diagnostic Adaptive Behaviour Scale (DABS). The DABS is a tool that assesses a person's ability to function in daily life and determines whether there are significant deficits in this area, which is a fundamental criterion for the diagnosis of intellectual disability and other developmental disorders. Designed by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), the DABS is administered to individuals aged 4 to 21 and provides scores on the conceptual, social, and practical dimensions of adaptive behaviour.	Before the start of therapy (baseline assessment) and at the end of therapy (3 months)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
BALANCE	It will be evaluated by collecting kinetic variables through the PhysioSensing Vestibular pressure platform. Pressure platforms use a set of pressure sensors, in this case 4,000, to measure the distribution of pressure exerted during footfall. They enable the recording and evaluation of pressure values under the foot in static or dynamic conditions, and are used for diagnosis and evaluation of foot function and balance. Thanks to the use of pressure sensors, it is possible to obtain reliable and accurate measurement data, which is essential in clinical and research applications.	Before the start of therapy (baseline assessment) and at the end of therapy (3 months) and 6 month.

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
VITAL SIGNS - BLOOD PRESSURE (BP)	Blood pressure will be measured using a validated digital blood pressure monitor, and the measurement will be taken in mm Hg.	Basal measurement before/after each session. Measurements every 15 days until the final of the Equine Therapy (3 months)
AGE	Age will be measure in years	Before the sessions
SEX	Male/Female	Before the sessions
RECOGNISED DEGREE OF DISABILITY	Collection of relevant clinical data regarding the participants' intellectual disability profile, measured by percentage (%)	Before the sessions

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad Pontificia Comillas
• Collaborators: Fundación San Juan de Dios

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 10, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 25, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 6, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 10, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 25, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 25, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: balance; stress level; intellectual disability; autonomy; Equine Therapy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Intellectual Disability; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Patient Care; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Animal Assisted Therapy; Equine-Assisted Therapy
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20/004-EQUINE THERAPY; P25/06 (Other Grant/Funding Number: FUNDACIÓN SAN JUAN DE DIOS)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No