THE EQUESTRIAN REHABILITATION TRIAD: THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERDISCIPLINARITY AMONG PHYSICAL EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY, AND VETERINARY MEDICINE IN EQUINE-ASSISTED THERAPY.

Abstract

Equine-assisted therapy is a therapeutic and educational approach that uses the horse to promote the biopsychosocial development of individuals with specific needs. The present study aims to investigate the importance of interdisciplinary work among the Physical Education professional, the Psychologist, and the Veterinarian in the equine rehabilitation process, identifying the specific role of each area. This is an integrative literature review with a qualitative and exploratory approach. The search was conducted on Google Scholar, covering publications from 2009 to 2024, resulting in the rigorous selection of 10 papers in Portuguese for full analysis. The results demonstrate that rehabilitation in the equestrian environment is a multifactorial process that precludes isolated interventions. The Veterinarian ensures the bioethical and biomechanical basis, selecting and monitoring the horse as a kinesiotherapeutic agent. The Psychologist acts in mediating the bond and overcoming fear, which reduces physical blockages and prepares the practitioner for physical stimuli. The Physical Education professional assumes the pedagogical protagonism, using corporeality and playful dynamics to consolidate motor gains, such as balance and muscle tone. It is concluded that there is an absolute interdependence in this triad, and the simultaneous integration of these three sciences is an indispensable condition for a safe, ethical, and truly transformative rehabilitation.