Characteristics of Horses within the New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association

The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of the cohort of horses used for therapeutic horse riding. It also investigated the age at which horses began service in the riding therapy program, any behavioural issues identified by the group’s volunteers, and analysed the horses’ current time in the program. Retrospective data as of February 28, 2022, for a cohort of 328 horses currently in service was provided by the New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association (NZRDA). Analysis described the “typical” horse as a mixed breed, aged 16.15 ±5.90 years, with the same number of males and females. Horses were in the program for an average of 4.6 ±3.91 years at the time of data analysis, and were most likely to have been sourced by the association from a recreational background. The most common issues identified were related to soundness (absence of a normal gait), followed by restricted use due to age or physical limits, and behavioural responses to humans. While this study is the first to describe the current cohort of horses within the association, it has also identified additional characteristics that require further investigation.