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Horses help heal heroes: new study tests equine therapy for PTSD in first responders

NCT ID NCT05579717

Symptom relief Sponsor: McMaster University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether a program called Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) can reduce trauma symptoms in public safety personnel like police, firefighters, and paramedics. 40 participants from Saskatchewan took part in 16 sessions of unmounted activities with horses, guided by mental health and equine specialists. Researchers measured changes in PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress before, after, and at follow-up.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) - a behavioral intervention involving unmounted interactions with horses guided by mental health and equine specialists.
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new, non-drug way to help first responders and other public safety workers cope with trauma and reduce PTSD symptoms.
What could go wrong
This is a small, completed study with only 40 participants and no control group, so results may not be widely applicable. The benefits might not be due to the horses themselves.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

40 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2022

Finished

Aug 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. English-speaking adults; 2. Currently or previously employed as public safety personnel (e.g., police officer, fire fighter, paramedic, healthcare worker, emergency dispatcher, correctional officer); 3. Reside in Saskatchewan; 4. Meet diagnostic criteria for having experienced a Criterion A traumatic event; 5. Able to provide written informed consent; 6. Have access to a smart phone, tablet, or computer with a working microphone and camera; and 7. Have access to consistent and reliable internet. Exclusion: 1. Meet/met current/past diagnostic criteria for several psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurological conditions; 2. History of severe head trauma with loss of consciousness or history of traumatic brain injury; 3. Have previously completed at least half of the EAL curriculum at Cartier Farms.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

injury post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Trauma

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Cartier Farms

    Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, S6V5R2, Canada

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.