Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore and describe adult horse riders’ perceptions regarding their communication with horses and how it translates to their communication with family. A qualitative explorative, descriptive research design was implemented. The sample group, which was recruited through either a purposive or snowball sampling technique, included nine participants between the ages of 19 and 53. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and analyzed with the use of thematic analysis. The findings reveal similarities between the communication that takes place between the participants and horses, and between the participants and their family members. These similarities make it possible for the communication in one context (with horses) to be translated to the other context (with family members), and the findings suggest that such a translation is possible and is supported by the systems theory.
The aim of this study was to explore and describe adult horse riders’ perceptions regarding their communication with horses and how it translates to their communication with family within a South African (SA) context. In SA, family may be defined as a group of people who are related by blood, connected emotionally, who care for extended family and/or are united by material possessions (Greeff, 2013). The family is considered to play one of the most crucial roles in society and is often regarded as one of the most important relationships an individual engages in (Chao, 2011). Yet evidence suggests that family life and the family as an institution is seemingly endangered (Christensen, 2002; Walsh, 1996). In SA, family structures are becoming increasingly diverse – absent fathers, single-parent households, child-headed households, and broken families are on the rise (Holborn & Eddy, 2011; Nduna & Sikweyiya, 2013; Richter & Desmond, 2008). These changing family structures, as well as the other challenges families face, including high levels of crime, poverty, unemployment, loss of family authority, and welfare dependency, put a strain on family life and affect the wellbeing of family members (Moss, 2010). It is therefore necessary to research wellbeing enhancement for families. Research indicates that the wellbeing of families can be enhanced by effective family communication (Ackerman et al., 2011; Koen, 2012; Peterson & Green, 2009).
Research suggests that communication (defined as a process of creating meaning or sharing experience) plays an integral role in human relationships (Tubbs & Moss, 2003; Watzlavick et al., 2011). Nonverbal communication is frequently used in human communication to express feelings, emotions, and attitudes (Samovar et al., 2012). Family communication refers to all verbal and nonverbal behaviors by which family members affect one another, establishing their interpersonal relationships (Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 2005). Research provides evidence that healthy functioning families tend to have effective communication and a willingness to communicate, with communication contributing to the wellbeing of families by providing a way for members to express themselves (Carr, 2011; Choo, 2000).
The way people and horses communicate and interact requires people to adjust their nonverbal communication. In order for people to be able to facilitate change in a horse’s behavior, they need to become more aware of and possibly change their own behavior, thoughts, and intentions (Elliot, Funderburk, & Holland, 2008; Pendry & Roeter, 2013; Suarez, 2005). Smith et al. (2016) found evidence that horses can read human emotions and give functionally relevant responses. Anderson and Meints (2016) further explained that horses are perceived to detect changes in a person’s body language and to reflect these changes back to the person through mirroring, which may enable people to gain insight into their own psyche. Scopa et al. (2019) explained that signals such as vocalizations, facial expressions, and affiliative contact allow people and horses to communicate reciprocal affective states. Trösch et al. (2019) reported that horses are able to match visual and vocal cues for the same emotion and can perceive the emotional valence of human nonverbal vocalizations. Others reported that horses can shape interspecies social engagement and can themselves act as social agents and influence people (Birke & Thompson, 2018).
The relationship between humans and horses is considered unique because of the size difference between humans and horses, which emphasizes the importance of effective communication (Brandt, 2004). The human-horse relationship is also considered to be unique as a result of the high level of body-to-body contact that takes place during horse riding (Scopa et al., 2019). In this body-to-body contact, the body becomes the means for expression. Nonverbal communication, which relies on both a physical and emotional connection between horses and humans, therefore, becomes the primary manner of communication (Scopa et al., 2019), which may result in horse riders becoming more sensitive to their nonverbal communication in other contexts (Brandt, 2004).
Earlier evidence suggested that the mental health field has been slow to realize the value of human-animal relationships in theory, research, and practice (Kruger & Serpell, 2006; Walsh, 2009a). More recently, however, there has been an increase in social science research regarding communication between humans and horses. Maurstad et al. (2013), for example, conducted a study on co-being and intra-action in human-horse relationships and described how humans and horses change through meeting. Dashper (2017) studied ways in which people attempt to develop attentive relationships with their horses. Birke and Thompson (2018) explored how horses can be viewed as social actors in shared interspecies networks. Several studies, particularly on autism, reported the potential benefits of different forms of interaction with horses, including equine-assisted activities and therapies, for human social interaction, competence, functioning, and skills, including human communication (Bass et al., 2009; O’Haire, 2017; Pendry et al., 2014; Ward et al., 2013). It is notable, however, that there is limited research within a SA context.
Many scholars that undertake qualitative research find that their own experiences serve as a meaningful starting point in research (Lofland & Lofland, 1995). In the case of this study, the first author’s relationship with horses played a part in the development of the research question. In her interactions with horses, she became aware of positive changes in her family relations as a result of this relationship. This led the authors to wonder about the possible benefits of the human-horse relationship and communication specifically in the family domain. The authors found that literature was limited, especially in a SA context and regarding the family system. Available research did, however, indicate that horse riders noticed increased sensitivity and changes in their verbal and nonverbal communication since they started riding (Brandt, 2004).
It is theorized that change in interpersonal styles that takes place in one interpersonal context (in this case, horse riding) can ultimately introduce change within other systems (in this case, the family) (Becvar & Becvar, 2009). When interacting with horses, horse riders are forced to consider their interactional style and possibly make adjustments in themselves as well as in their interaction. Family systems theory can be a valuable theoretical framework for understanding the role that companion animals such as horses play in family functioning (Walsh, 2009b). The systems paradigm recognizes that multiple influences within and beyond the family can shape individual and family functioning (Walsh, 2012). Systems Theory (Becvar & Becvar, 2009) emphasizes mutual influence of family members and views people as open systems that allow the flow of new, accepted behavior into other interpersonal contexts, such as the family, through positive feedback. As a family is a system that consists of interacting individuals, change in one family member can facilitate change in the larger family context (Becvar & Becvar, 2009).
Research Question and Aim
The research question was: What are the perceptions of adult horse riders regarding their communication with horses and how it translates to their communication with family? The aim was to explore and describe adult horse riders’ perceptions regarding their communication with horses and how it translates to their communication with family.
Method
Design
A qualitative explorative, descriptive research design was implemented. Botma et al. (2010) explained that an exploratory study is used to collect new data if limited previous research has been conducted regarding the topic in question. The descriptive approach is used to accurately describe phenomena (Terre Blanche et al., 2006) and refers to knowing the kind of situations in which a phenomenon appears (Elliot & Timulak, 2005). The design was therefore fitting for the study and its aim.
Participants and Sampling
A purposive, voluntary sampling technique (Creswell, 2012) was used to sample participants who met the inclusion criteria. Participants met the inclusion criteria if they were actively partaking in horse riding; lived in Potchefstroom in the North West Province of South Africa; were at least 18 years of age; were literate in Afrikaans or English; and were a family member. Participants were recruited by a mediator, who was the owner of a horse-riding facility located in Potchefstroom in the North West Province. Thereafter, snowball sampling (Goodman, 1961) was used to recruit individuals who were not from the recruiter’s horse-riding facility. Snowball sampling continued to the point of data saturation (Terre Blanche et al., 2006). The sample consisted of nine participants. The demographic profile of the participants is provided in Table 1.
Demographic profile of participants
Citation: Society & Animals 2023; 10.1163/15685306-bja10079
Demographic profile of participants
Citation: Society & Animals 2023; 10.1163/15685306-bja10079
Demographic profile of participants
Citation: Society & Animals 2023; 10.1163/15685306-bja10079
Data Collection
The first author was involved in the data collection and received training in the data collection techniques utilized. During the recruitment and informed consent process, the participants were informed of the study’s research question and aim. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The participants were asked the following questions:
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1) Please tell me about the communication between you and horses.
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2) What did you learn in your communication, verbal and nonverbal, with horses? Can you give me an example?
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3) Please tell me about the communication between you and your family members.
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4) What have you learned from your communication, verbal and nonverbal, with family members? Can you give me an example?
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5) What is your perception of how your communication with a horse or horses translates to your communication with family members?
The first author conducted the interviews and did not deviate from the interview schedule; however, probing and clarification questions were asked as needed. Throughout the interviews, the interviewer was non-judgmental by keeping an open mind and refraining from making premature decisions or assumptions about the study.
The first interview served as a pilot study to determine the effectiveness of the questions. Since the interview schedule was found to be effective during the first interview, the interview was included for analysis. Interviews were approximately one hour in length. All interviews were recorded with a digital voice recording device and were transcribed, verbatim, by a professional transcriber for analysis. Field notes were written immediately after each interview by the first author and used to confirm and strengthen the findings as well as for audit trail purposes.
Data collection was conducted at the respective facilities where the participants partook in horse riding. A quiet location with privacy and minimum distraction was used. The first author arranged a time with the participants when they were at the facility as part of their normal routine and traveled to the participants.
Data Analysis
Data were manually analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and the analysis was done concurrently with the data collection to determine the point at which data saturation had been reached. The six steps of thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke (2006) were followed to analyze the data, namely: 1) Becoming familiar with the data; 2) Assigning initial codes to text; 3) Identification of similarities to further refine themes; 4) Reviewing themes; 5) Naming themes; and 6) Writing up findings. The first author was trained in the use of thematic analysis and data were independently analysed by the first author and an experienced co-coder to add to the trustworthiness of the analysis.
Trustworthiness
Lincoln and Guba (1985) identify four strategies for the evaluation of trustworthiness, namely credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. Table 2 provides an overview of the strategies that were utilized to ensure trustworthiness.
Strategies to ensure trustworthiness
Citation: Society & Animals 2023; 10.1163/15685306-bja10079
Strategies to ensure trustworthiness
Citation: Society & Animals 2023; 10.1163/15685306-bja10079
Strategies to ensure trustworthiness
Citation: Society & Animals 2023; 10.1163/15685306-bja10079
Ethical Considerations
Institutional ethical permission was received for the research (NWU-00076-13-A1). The authors considered various international ethical principles such as the Helsinki Declaration (Burns & Grove, 2005) to conduct the research in an ethical manner and to protect the welfare of the participants.
Results
This section presents the themes and subthemes identified through data analysis and includes direct quotes from participants in support of these themes. Please note that some quotes were translated from Afrikaans to English by a professional language editor for the purpose of publication. An overview of the themes and subthemes is presented in Table 3.
Communication with Horses
Participants stated that they use both verbal and nonverbal communication to communicate with their horses and identified foundations of healthy communication with horses.
Verbal Communication
Participants indicated they used verbal communication when calling a horse. Participant 4 (P4) stated, “Verbally he responds as when I just call his name or whistle to him, then he comes to me.” When riders wanted to get their horse’s attention, “verbally I make sounds upon which my horses respond” (P8), “so my horses respond to my voice” (P3). They also used verbal communication to give commands. One participant noted that “she responds very well to instructions such as ‘trot’ or ‘canter’” (P5), and another said that their horse responded to “the training through my voice” (P3). Verbal communication was also used to calm and reward the horse: “In the saddle, if they are uptight or tense, I will speak to them soothingly and reassure them that all is okay” (P9). The same participant noted, “[a] reward is a ‘well-done’” (P9).
Nonverbal Communication
The findings also indicate a strong emphasis on nonverbal communication between rider and horse. As stated by the participants, these interactions mainly consisted of body language, including body movements, but also include eye contact and tone of voice.
Body Language. Participants perceived that their horses could read energy expressed through body language. Therefore, the energy that they used to approach a horse was crucial: “The energy with which you approach a horse determines whether he must flee, and if he cannot flee, he must fight” (P6), and “horses are very much in tune with a person’s energy levels” (P7). Participants shared that the horses could immediately pick up on energy through nonverbal communication such as body language and sensed if the participants were relaxed or tense despite whether they were physically close to them or not. One participant noted, “if you’re stressed out then she will not listen to you, but if you are relaxed, she will be relaxed” (P5). Another said that “even if you are standing ten meters from them and you stress a little, then he will also automatically feel anxious” (P8).
Body Movements. Participants further shared that the horses noticed the subtlest movements, such as pressure and release: “Immediately when the horse does what he should not do, you put pressure on him, yet you also release” (P8), and “most of the ground communication is via pressure and release” (P9). Participants also used their touch to reward or calm their horses: One participant shared that for their horse, a “reward is a stroke” (P9), and another said that “I stroke him like this, the horse is just at peace” (P1).
Eye Contact. Another form of nonverbal communication used with horses was that of eye contact. The participants indicated that direct eye contact could sometimes be perceived as intimidating: “The closer I walk to my horse, I walk normally, but without making any eye contact” (P6); “I have also learnt not to make any eye contact with my horse, because it is intimidating” (P2). On the other hand, some participants mentioned that appropriate eye contact with a horse gave them a feeling of being understood: “When I look into his eyes, it is as if he understands you and knows exactly how you feel” (P1), and “when I talk to my horse I establish eye contact and it is as if she understands” (P2).
Tone of Voice. Tone of voice, which is vocal but nonverbal, was also perceived to affect the effectiveness of communication with horses. One participant shared that “I have noticed, with both horses, if you speak in a strict or angry voice, they will just stare at you” (P2), and another said, “if you are going to scream at him the whole time – it will not work” (P1).
Foundations of Healthy Communication with Horses
Participants identified foundations of healthy communication with horses to include trust, respect, consistency, correct timing, sensibility, consideration of personal space, and consideration of or appreciation for uniqueness, which are reflected in the following quotes: “There needs to be a trusting relationship between my horses and I” (P3). “Principles of trust, respect, consistency, timing, sensibility” were important to Participant 6, who also said, “I always and regularly do it the same for the horse not to think that it is done differently today compared to tomorrow and therefore distrust me” (P6). Another participant said of their horse, “show him that he can trust you” (P1).
Communication with Family Members
This theme includes the nature of family communication and foundations of healthy communication with family members.
Nature of Family Communication
Participants stated that their communication with family members varied, depending on the family member in question: “I have some good communication with my family and some bad” (P9), and “I will rather talk to my mother about emotional things than to my father” (P4).
The nature of communication with family members was indicated to have an impact on relationships with family members: “We had a very difficult relationship … my daughters and I have a very pleasant relationship” (P7); “the relationship between my mother and I is not always good … my father and I get along very well” (P5); “my daughter keeps everything bottled up … you can see something is wrong, but can’t talk about it … my son, on the other hand, we get along very well and we talk to each other” (P2). Participants further shared that they use both verbal and nonverbal communication to communicate with their family members.
Verbal Communication. Participants used verbal communication to share information with their families. For example, one participant reported, “what worked well for my wife and I, is to go for a walk after work to discuss the day’s happenings” (P6), and another said, “verbal communication is a must to be able to say how you feel or let’s do this or that” (P8). The nature of verbal communication and how it was used, was also perceived to be important: “It is not what you say, but rather how you say it” (P5). Verbal communication also occurred in written form between family members, which was non-vocal, but verbal nonetheless: “If you cannot talk about it, then write a letter” (P2).
Nonverbal Communication. For the participants, nonverbal communication, specifically through body language and facial expression, was perceived to be important in communication between family members: “Once again I will say body language” (P5), and “just the way I hold my body, or my facial expression gives away my true feelings” (P9). An awareness of and ability to understand what family members communicate nonverbally was also perceived to be important: “Sometimes when you enter the house, you will immediately know here is a vibe” (P6); “you will notice when to leave her alone” (P4); “they immediately know, they learn body language, they know when I am sad” (P2); “upon entering the room, you will immediately see that the other person is upset and then you will know how much space to give that person” (P8).
Foundations of Healthy Communication with Family Members
Participants shared that their healthy communication with family members relied on the same principles as their communication with their horses, stating that “the same principles of trust, respect, consistency, timing, sensibility … apply to your family members” (P6), and “your actions must be consistent, then everyone will know where they stand with each other” (P3). Participants believed that healthy communication meant respecting personal boundaries and being able to communicate clearly regarding boundaries. Participants mentioned that both verbal and nonverbal communication were used within their families to set boundaries: “You must address your children and say: listen, this is where it stops and respect what I am telling you now” (P2); “my daughter doesn’t want other people to enter her personal space, she will not kick like the pony, but her body language will clearly reveal that you are entering her space” (P7); “then you just give enough time until the other person is ready to talk about it” (P6).
Benefits of Interaction and Communication with Horses
The participants shared that they believed their interaction and communication with horses to have several benefits: relief of stress and nervousness; increased awareness of personal boundaries; translation of communication with horses to communication with family members; development of positive traits; and enhanced bond with family members as well as relief of family conflict through time spent with horses.
Relief of Stress and Nervousness
Participants shared that being around horses seemed to naturally relieve stress. One participant said, “when I returned from a stressful day at school, then there is no greater pleasure than to saddle up my horse” (P1), and of being around their horse, another said, “it calms me and not to be so stressed all the time” (P8).
Increased Awareness of Personal Boundaries
Participants indicated that horses made it clear when someone crossed their boundaries: “When you come too close and he feels threatened, he will try to kick at you” (P7). Such situations provided riders with an opportunity to learn about boundary-setting and to discover and be aware of their own as well as others’ personal boundaries: “Some of them (horses) will just enter your space and walk over you” (P7), and “as with horses, you have to teach your family to walk away when someone is in a bad mood” (P7).
Translation of Communication with Horses to Communication with Family Members
Participants shared that their communication with horses had impacts on and was translated to their communication with their family members. They shared that “they must listen – if you say no, it means no … I treat my animals and children alike” (P2), “the same principles … that apply in horse language, should apply to your family as well” (P6), and “you must take the communication and feelings you share with your horse back to your family” (P7). One participant stated that her awareness of how she communicated with horses strengthened healthy communication between herself and her family: “I can say it strengthened me (in my communication with my family), because I cannot, for example, shut the stable door in his (the horse’s) face and say I am done with you … it immediately changed my mind towards my parents” (P1).
Participants further indicated that horses mirrored the behavior and emotions of those around them, thereby sensitizing the horse riders to what they were communicating (especially nonverbally), not only in their communication with horses, but also in their communication with family members. This was reflected in the following statements: “I calm myself and then she also becomes calm” (P2); “the day I am angry and frustrated, I don’t work with him, because automatically he also has a bad day and I instigate him as well” (P4); “when I am impatient with my parents, they are also impatient with me and the same with my horse” (P5); “you have to change yourself before you will be able to teach someone else or your horse something” (P1); and “I have learnt that when you are calm, it rubs off on your children. When you are tense, they will be tense as well” (P2).
The participants noted the importance of nonverbal communication, and specifically body language, in the human-horse relationship as well as between family members. They indicated that what was just as important as reading and understanding family members’ and horses’ body language was the appropriate response to the message: “It is the same with your family members, you have to read the situation and then act accordingly and do the right thing” (P3).
Development of Positive Traits
Interaction with horses, either through handling, riding, or caring, was perceived to develop positive traits such as determination – “The horses taught me to just breathe, take one step backwards and try again” (P7); patience – “… I would say that the more I use body language to communicate with my horses, the more patient I have become” (P8), and “I also notice that the horses teach her patience” (P7); and calmness – “I just go to my horse and it makes me calmer” (P4), and “they calm me” (P2).
Enhanced Bond with Family Members and Relief of Family Conflict through Time Spent with Horses
When the whole family or more than one member of the family got involved, participants felt that the time spent together with horses enhanced the bond among family members One participant said, “I am crazy about these animals, especially because they brought my family closer,” continuing, “it means so much more to me and it is something that we as a family can do together” (P1). Another reflected that “my daughter is at that stage where a relationship feels strange, and although we don’t always talk to each other, horse riding affords the time to overcome this awkwardness” (P3).
On the other hand, time alone with horses could also provide a space for participants when family conflicts arose. Conflict is inevitable in any family and for some of the participants, their interaction with horses offered an escape from the immediate situation as well as time to reflect and work through their emotions before coming into contact with family members again: “If there is something that bothers at home, I will rather go to my horse … when I am around my horse, everything else is excluded and nothing else matters” (P4); “I have discovered that when there is tension between my family and I, then my horse is the one that relaxes me” (P5); and “I cannot just show up angry at my horse, I have to change my attitude. So when I go home, then I am calmer and sometimes you see something from a different perspective and you realize you perhaps shouldn’t have said it” (P4).
Discussion
The findings provide insight into the role and complexity of verbal and nonverbal communication with horses and with family members, and potential differences and similarities of communication in these two domains. There was a stronger focus on nonverbal communication with horses, and various types of nonverbal communication that took place between riders and horses were identified, including body language, body movements, eye contact, and tone of voice. This finding is supported by numerous studies (Brandt, 2004; Cameron & Hobey, 2013; Goodwin, 2007; Hausberger et al., 2007; Scopa et al., 2019; Trotter, 2012) and points to the central role of effective nonverbal communication in the relationship between humans and horses as well as the extent to which riders need to be sensitive to both their and their horse’s nonverbal communication.
Verbal communication was, however, also identified as a form of communication used between riders and horses, especially in the form of vocal instructions such as calling a horse or to give instruction. This finding is in line with other studies (Heleski et al., 2014; McGreevy & McLean, 2007). It should be noted, however, that the verbal communication referred to was from humans to horses, and that horses responded to this verbal communication nonverbally. This finding points to the importance of riders’ sensitivity to what their horse communicates nonverbally in response to verbal cues.
The findings also reveal that the participants used both verbal and nonverbal communication with their family members, and are indicative of the need for effective communication in this context. This finding is supported by available literature (Carr, 2011; Choo, 2000; Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 2005; Peterson & Green, 2009; Roos & Malan, 2012; Vorster, Roos, & Beukes, 2013). The integral role of nonverbal communication in human relationships and, consequently, between family members, is supported by numerous studies (Dinkmeyer & McKay, 1990; Kahlbaugh & Haviland, 1994; Phutela, 2015; Tubbs & Moss, 2003).
The findings further identify foundations that were reported to underlie healthy and effective communication in both contexts. These included trust, respect, consistency, correct timing, sensibility or intuitiveness, and consideration of personal space or boundaries. Literature supports the importance of these foundations in both contexts: Trust (Dinkmeyer & McKay, 1990; Carlsson et al., 2014; Frewin & Gardiner, 2005; Ghiringhelli, 2016; Peterson & Green, 2009); respect (Badejo, 2010; Carlsson et al., 2014; Dinkmeyer & McKay, 1990; Frewin & Gardiner, 2005; Guilamo-Ramos & Bouris, 2008; Horner & Sugai, 2005); consistency (Brandt, 2004; Goodnight, 2007; Hausberger et al., 2007; Ryan et al., 2013; Spagnola & Fiese, 2007); correct timing (Fingerman et al., 2004; Goodnight, 2007); sensibility (Brandt, 2004, 2006; Burgon, 2011; Kohanov, 2001; Laursen & Collins, 2004; Lentini & Knox, 2009); and respecting personal boundaries (Badejo, 2010; Birke, 2007; Burgon, 2011; Ferguson, 2010; Horner & Sugai, 2005; Kohanov, 2013).
Systems theory as a theoretical framework allowed for a better understanding of how interpersonal styles that took place in the interpersonal context of horse riding can possibly introduce change within the family. Melson and Fine (2006) argued that the utilization of a systemic perspective promotes insight into the importance of relationships with companion animals in relation to dynamic processes within family systems. One should consider that the similarities, as pointed out in the discussion above, make it possible for the communication in one context to be translated to the other context – a finding that is supported by the systems theory. While communication in these two relationships is not the same, the similarities suggest such a translation is possible. The most prominent contribution of this study is that the findings suggest that in their interaction and communication with horses, riders in this study acquired different communication skills, especially nonverbal, that they could employ (or that could be translated) in/to their communication with family, which could be beneficial to their communication with family members. The findings also indicate that the riders in this study became more aware of their nonverbal communication in their interaction and communication with horses, which made them more sensitive to their nonverbal communication with their family members. Previously reported research has explained that horses are distinctly social and are therefore able to teach social and relational skills (Lentini & Knox, 2009; Smith-Osborne & Selby, 2010) to their riders, which can lead to enhanced interaction with riders’ family members (Maujean et al., 2013).
Other benefits of interaction with horses were also identified in the participants’ responses, including the relief of stress and nervousness; increased awareness of personal boundaries; development of positive traits such as determination, patience, and calmness; and an enhanced bond with family members as well as relief of family conflict through time spent with horses. These benefits have been reported in other studies as well (Hawks, 1991; Holmes et al., 2012; Jenkins & Lyons, 2006; Lee & Makela, 2015; Smith-Osborne & Selby, 2010; Stammbach & Turner, 1999; Trotter et al., 2008; Turner et al., 2003).
While the findings are indicative of the benefits of interaction and communication with horses, it should be noted that horse riding can be resource-intensive and is likely to require a significant investment of one’s time, money, effort and emotion (Dashper, Abbott, & Walace, 2019). This may have an unwanted effect on one’s human relationships. Dashper et al. (2019), for example, found that, due to the commitment required in the human-horse relationship, a form of resentment may develop toward the horse, and women in particular may have to constantly negotiate and compromise in order to partake in equestrian leisure.
The sample for the study included only white participants even though attempts were made to include participants from other cultures. Considering SA’s cultural diversity, future research in this area may therefore benefit from the sampling of participants from a variety of cultures to provide a broader perspective. It may also be valuable to consider age or family structure in future research on this topic. Exploration within the larger context of the family through utilizing explorative family interviews may be useful in providing the perspective of the family. The data collection technique relied heavily on verbal communication and the integration of nonverbal forms of data collection, such as observation, and other qualitative data collection techniques could provide valuable insight as well as the use a variety of data analysis techniques.
The study focused on the benefits of human-horse interaction for humans but did not have a therapeutic focus nor did it place the horse in the role of therapist. While research often points to the possible therapeutic value of human-horse relationships, some researchers caution against medicalizing this relationship and its benefits as therapy (Davis et al., 2014).
Conclusion
The findings point to similarities in communication with horses and with family members, which does not mean that the communication in these two domains is the same, but it indicates potential for communication in one context to be translated to the other. The possibility of this translation is supported by the findings, which suggest that communication with horses can be translated to communication with family members. More importantly, the findings suggest that this translation can be beneficial to family communication, and other possible benefits of interaction and communication with horses were also identified. The significance of this study’s findings is in the fact that insight and understanding were gained regarding the subjective feedback people received from their interactions in one particular interpersonal context and how it translated to the family context.
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