Open Access

ARTICLE

‘Shared Emotions in Shared Weaves’: Perceived Positivity Resonance and the Social–Emotional Benefits of Equine-Assisted Therapy

Yalin Aygun^1,*, Sakir Tufekci¹, Goktug Norman¹, Burak Canpolat², Fatma Hilal Yagin³, Sacide Tufekci⁴, Cemil Colak⁵, Burak Yagin⁵, Huseyin Gurer⁶, Hulya Berktas¹, Emek Guldogan⁵, Matheus Santos de Sousa Fernandes⁷, Đina Škulić⁸, Larisa Draščić Šarinić⁸
1 Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Inonu University, Malatya, Türkiye
2 Department of Physical Education and Sport on Disabilities, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Inonu University, Malatya, Türkiye
3 Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Malatya Turgut Ozal University, Malatya, Türkiye
4 Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras, Türkiye
5 Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Türkiye
6 Department of Coaching Education, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Inonu University, Malatya, Türkiye
7 Keizo Asami Institute, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
8 Parasport Association of the City of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
* Corresponding Author: Yalin Aygun. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Children and Adolescent Mental and Physical Health: The Role of Sleep, Nutrition, Stress, Anxiety, Arousal, and Physical Activity in Overweight and Obesity Factors, Assessment, Interventions, and Lifespan Outcomes)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.078673

Received 06 January 2026; Accepted 20 March 2026; Published online 13 April 2026

Abstract

Backgrounds: Children’s mental ill health has risen worldwide in recent years, placing increasing emotional demands not only on autistic children but also on their families. A holistic perspective on supportive therapies besides medical treatment is essential. There is a growing need for research and practice that explore equine-assisted therapy through innovative relational frameworks. This qualitative study had two main aims: first, to understand how parents perceived the social and emotional benefits of their autistic child’s involvement in equine-assisted therapy; and second, to explore how parents experienced positive resonance with their child during simultaneous parent–child involvement in the therapy. Methods: Eighteen parents (twelve mothers and six fathers) were interviewed across two equine-assisted therapy centers in Türkiye and Croatia. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Analysis resulted in a synthesis of how parents experienced equine-assisted therapy as a social and emotional milieu for growth, as moments of shared positive affect (the experiential component of positivity resonance), and as episodes of caring nonverbal synchrony (the behavioral component of positivity resonance). Specifically, parents saw the actual and potential benefits of horse-based therapies for themselves and their autistic children, particularly in the shared moments of positive affect that emerged during the riding sessions and in the caring nonverbal synchrony that unfolded through gentle, coordinated movements, mutual gaze, and quiet bodily attunement. Conclusions: The findings suggest that this unique parent–child connection is rare in everyday life yet deeply meaningful, offering brief but powerful experiences of warmth, ease, and feeling ‘in sync’, which contribute to mental health and emotional well-being.

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Keywords

Children; equine-assisted therapy; mental health; parents; interpersonal interactions; positivity resonance

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