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Horse therapy shows promise for autism and mental health

NCT ID NCT04606966

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Colorado, Denver 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 19, 2026 · Updated 5 times

Summary

This study tested whether therapeutic horseback riding can improve behavior, social skills, and emotional control in 250 autistic youth who also have a mental health condition. Participants were randomly assigned to riding, barn activities without riding, or a hybrid group. Researchers measured changes in irritability, social responsiveness, and emotional regulation.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
therapeutic horseback riding
What this could lead to
If it works, this could provide a non-drug option to ease irritability, social difficulties, and emotional dysregulation in autistic youth with co-occurring psychiatric conditions.
What could go wrong
This is a completed study, but results are not yet widely confirmed. The intervention is time-intensive and may not work for everyone. Benefits might be modest or not last long-term.

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

236 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2020

Finished

Feb 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

6 to 17 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: * documented ASD diagnosis and a co-occurring psychiatric disorder * ABC Irritability subscale score ≥8 * Leiter-III Nonverbal IQ ≥ 40 * meet Symptom Criterion score (minimum number of symptoms necessary for a DSM-V (mood, anxiety, or ADHD diagnosis) on CASI-5) * meet ASD cut-offs on the SCQ (≥ 11) and on ADOS-2 * Only one child with ASD per family to maintain independent observations * a consistent caregiver (i.e., parent or legal guardian) to complete study outcome measures Exclusion Criteria: * medical or behavioral issues that prevent participation * ward of the state * judged during riding center screen to have significant riding experience * smoking or regular use of oral, inhaled, or topical steroids on a regular basis, factors known to affect cortisol levels * Participants weighing 200 pounds or greater will be excluded due to the riding center's safety policies * Participants will not be allowed to begin baseline assessments until at least six months have passed from the time they last engaged in mounted EAAT, given pilot evidence for the six-month maintenance of THR effects.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

autism spectrum disorder Emotional Regulation mental disorder psychiatric disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Autism spectrum disorder Mental disorders

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Maine Health

    Portland, Maine, 04102, United States

  • University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

    Aurora, Colorado, 80218, United States

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