Learning in the arena: healthcare students’ lived experience of interprofessional education in equine-assisted services

This qualitative study explored healthcare students’ lived experiences during an interprofessional education (IPE) event incorporating equine-assisted services (EAS). Traditional IPE events often rely on classroom settings that may limit interprofessional engagement, collaboration, and application. Utilizing interpretive phenomenological analysis, researchers examined how the equine environment influenced interprofessional learning among fourteen graduate students from diverse healthcare disciplines at a western United States public university. Participants engaged in experiential demonstrations incorporating equines into mental health therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology services during a three-hour “Equines in Healthcare” event, followed by a focus group and reflective journaling. Three major themes emerged: (1) the equine in a natural environment provided the context for learning, with horses serving as facilitators and the natural setting offering unique advantages over traditional clinic environments; (2) the IPE experience enhanced interprofessional learning, fostering cross-disciplinary understanding and collaboration; and (3) the experience generated professional and clinical insights, benefiting student providers-in-training and anticipated future clients. Participants gained knowledge about equine-assisted approaches, developed interprofessional communication skills, and experienced attitudinal changes, including increased respect for other disciplines and greater therapeutic creativity. The study demonstrates that integrating natural environments and animal-human interactions into interprofessional education may enhance student engagement, foster authentic collaboration, and prepare future healthcare providers to deliver more interprofessional and creative approaches.