Table 1
Participant Characteristics.
| PSEUDONYM | AGE | GENDER | BRANCH OF SERVICE | YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE | EFP INTERVENTION TYPE | NUMBER OF EFP SESSIONS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack | 56 | Male | Army | 12 | One-to-one | 6 |
| Colette | 50 | Female | Army and Navy | 26 | Group and one-to-one | 20 (6 group;14 one-to-one) |
| Freya | 56 | Female | Army | 8 | Group | 6 |
| Ben | 49 | Male | Army | 6 | One-to-one | 9 |
| Abigail | 35 | Female | Navy | 5 | Group | 6 |
Table 2
Story Themes.
| THEME | OVERVIEW |
|---|---|
| Relating to the horse | Encompasses the process of initial engagement with the intervention, forming bonds with the horses through factors such as self-relating, shared namesakes, and feeling soothed. |
| Self-regulation | Encompasses the practical skills developed through the necessity of soothing oneself to engage more effectively around horses. |
| Insight | Encompasses the insight gained into participants’ lives following parallels and metaphors being drawn through use of the horses’ behaviour. |
| Focus of attention | Encompasses the utility of the horse as a focal point through which participants were enabled to discuss otherwise challenging topics. |
| A safe environment | Encompasses the impact of the open space and farm location, in comparison to clinical spaces, as well as the normalising factors of seeing other veterans receive help. |
| Personal relatedness | Encompasses the facilitator roles and validation participants experienced through warmth, connection, and veteran peer relatedness. |
| Empowerment | Encompasses the self-efficacy developed, and the opportunities that emerged from having engaged in the intervention. |