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Giddyup! or Whoa Nelly! Making Sense of Benefit Claims on Websites of Equine Programs for Children with Disabilities

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Abstract

Programs offering horseback riding or other equine related experiences for children with disabilities are commonplace throughout the United States as well as other parts of the world. However, there is a dearth of research findings demonstrating the benefits of these programs. Four Internet search engines were used to identify 115 websites associated with equine programs that people with disabilities and their family members in the United States would likely encounter if searching the Web for information. Content analysis methodology was used to review websites for information related to program characteristics and benefit claims. Findings are summarized and the importance of establishing the validity of benefit claims through means other than anecdotal and testimonial evidence is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA

    James R. Thompson, Veronica Iacobucci & Rachel Varney

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  1. James R. Thompson
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  2. Veronica Iacobucci
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  3. Rachel Varney
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Correspondence to James R. Thompson.

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Thompson, J.R., Iacobucci, V. & Varney, R. Giddyup! or Whoa Nelly! Making Sense of Benefit Claims on Websites of Equine Programs for Children with Disabilities. J Dev Phys Disabil 24, 373–390 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-012-9276-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-012-9276-2

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