A recent study shows that riding and interacting with horses, even in a recreational--rather than equine therapy--setting, can significantly reduce symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in military veterans. The results proved true even for veterans of the Vietnam War, who had suffered PTSD symptoms for decades. Some whose symptoms emerged as recently as weeks before the study began saw up to an 87% percent decline in those symptoms after just six weeks of grooming, tacking, and riding horses.
A capsule summary of the study results is available here.
Full study methods and results are available here.
More proof that horses tap into something special within the human spirit.