09/17/2026
Sometimes the research catches up to what we’ve been fortunate enough to witness for years. 💙🐴
A new study from UC Davis found that spending just three minutes interacting with miniature horses and donkeys helped adolescents feel calmer, less anxious, less lonely, and less sad.
Three minutes.
At Marley’s Mission, we’ve spent the last 16 years watching relationships between children and horses create moments that can be difficult to put into words.
Our horses don’t ask a child to explain what happened. They don’t judge. They don’t expect the “right” answer. They simply respond to what is happening in the moment.
And one of the things we love most about this new research is that it recognizes the horse as an active participant in that relationship. The teens learned to pay attention to what the animals were communicating, including when an animal chose to walk away. Remarkably, even those interactions were associated with emotional benefits.
That matters.
Our work at Marley’s Mission is ground-based for a reason. It isn’t about riding a horse. It’s about building a relationship with one. It’s about learning to recognize boundaries, regulate emotions, build trust, communicate without words, and discover that sometimes the safest place to work through something difficult is standing beside a 1,000-pound animal who meets you exactly where you are.
For years, we’ve seen the difference horses can make in the lives of children who have experienced trauma.
We’re grateful to see research continuing to explore and validate the extraordinary connection between horses and human healing.
Sometimes, three minutes can matter. 💙
🐴 Read the article from KCRA:
https://www.kcra.com/article/uc-davis-mini-horses-donkeys-teen-anxiety/73753954?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&fbclid=IwY2xjawUY_ghwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMUIyb3UxTUtqU0lpYmt2ZEpzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeEBLT0uOsZ9sOpHGWEROL3DttZS8i3iTKDUwYygVbnkNReexwotNvmw5kbd4_aem_nCNvO85NHPfUg6_O361Z3Q
A UC Davis professor's study examines how interactions with mini horses and donkeys can reduce anxiety and sadness in teens while also considering the animals' responses.
