Preliminary Analysis of the Implementation of Riding in the Moment in Wisconsin: An Adaptive Horseback Riding Program for People Living with Dementia and Their Caregivers

<p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" class="first" dir="auto" id="d3588161e68"> <b>Abstract</b> </p><p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d3588161e73">Riding in the Moment (RM) is a community-based, evidence-informed adaptive horseback riding program for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. Spanning eight weeks, the program involves horseback riding, grooming, and horse interactions, all within a supportive, safe environment. In 2024, Three Gaits, Inc., an accredited equine-assisted services center in Wisconsin, collaborated with the RM team to implement the program. To build interest and refine the program, a preliminary RM session was held for six dyads during the summer of 2024. This soft launch enabled the Three Gaits team to test a scaled-down version of RM, assess its effectiveness, and identify areas for improvement. The evaluation process was conducted in two phases: pre- and post-implementation. In the pre-implementation phase, before the soft launch, a training workshop in the Spring of 2024 was conducted to prepare staff and volunteers. This workshop, led by a dementia care specialist and our academic team, covered dementia care best practices, RM curriculum, implementation procedures, and evaluation strategies. Post-workshop feedback from workshop participants (staff and volunteers; n=22) indicated high satisfaction with the content, duration, materials, audiovisual aids, and facilitation. Additionally, participants (n=16) strongly agreed that the workshop effectively enhanced their learning through activities and group discussions. In the post-implementation phase, we assessed the soft launch by gathering feedback from staff members (n=5) and volunteers (n=10) involved in RM. They reported enjoying their interactions with participants and observed tangible benefits of RM. However, they also suggested the need for more dementia-related training, better initial integration of volunteers, and additional support from the research team. The insights gained from these evaluations lay a solid groundwork for expanding RM to other locations, promising long-term benefits for equine-assisted services in dementia care. </p><p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d3588161e75"> <b>Bios</b> </p><p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d3588161e80"> <b>Benazir Meera, PhD</b> </p><p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d3588161e85">Dr. Meera is a postdoctoral research associate working with Dr. Beth Fields in the Geriatric Health Services Research Lab within the Department of Kinesiology at UW-Madison. She obtained her PhD in Kinesiology from the same institution in 2023, specializing in motor control and behavior. Through her research program, she seeks to identify, optimize, test, and disseminate culturally inclusive non-pharmacological interventions for individuals aging with and into disabilities. Currently, she leads and supports various research projects related to equine-assisted services, including " Riding in the MomentTM," a standardized adaptive horseback riding program for older adults with dementia and their caregivers. She is also leading a community-based program for the adoption of a mobile app for adaptive horseback riding for autistic children. </p><p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d3588161e87"> <b>Melissa Hiatt</b> </p><p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d3588161e92">Melissa Hiatt is a PhD student also working with Dr. Beth Fields in the Department of Kinesiology, specializing in occupational science. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in equine science and a master’s degree in kinesiology, specializing in adapted physical activity. Melissa is currently a graduate research assistant supporting the Riding in the MomentTM (RM) project. She is also leading a scoping review of the literature on animal-assisted interventions for adults with Down syndrome. This review will inform her future research of adapting RM for adults with Down syndrome and co-occurring dementia. </p>