Peter Shaffer’s Equus and Equine-assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)

Year 2022, Volume: 32 Issue: 2, 601 - 620, 15.01.2023

Mustafa Bal

https://doi.org/10.26650/LITERA2021-1028065

Abstract

Peter Shaffer’s Equus (1973) is a distinctive play in its representation of complex psychological/psychiatric issues on the theatre stage. As such, the play is one of the most notable theatrical works of psychological realism in English theatre. Peter Shaffer achieves this especially through his characterization of the mentally unstable Alan Strang. Since his childhood, Alan has developed an extraordinary attachment to and obsession with horses, and this eventually results in his blinding six horses and his entrustment to the treatment of the psychiatrist Martin Dysart. Accordingly, Equushas been, so far, studied through various – mainly psychological and psychiatric – perspectives. In this sense, the aim of this article is to shed a new light and contribute to these studies by examining the close relations between Peter Shaffer’s Equus and equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) – an acknowledged method of psychiatric treatment by means of horses that psychiatrist Dysart of the play neglects (or is unaware of ) while planning his therapies for Alan, who, due to his intimacy with horses, also as a stable-boy, might benefit from the methods of equine-assisted psychotherapy. For this purpose, this article analyses and reveals the ties between the play and equine-assisted psychotherapy mainly through related studies on the therapy, Shaffer’s characterization of Alan, and relevant incidents in the play..

Keywords

Equus, Peter Shaffer, equine-assisted psychotherapy, equine therapy, psychology and drama

References

• Animal-assisted therapy. (2021, 19 October). In APA Dictionary of Psychology. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/animal-assisted-therapy. google scholar
• Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. USA: Basic Books. google scholar
• Burgon, H., Gammage D., & Hebden, J. (2018). Hoofbeats and heartbeats: equine-assisted therapy and learning with young people with psychosocial issues - theory and practice. Journal of Social Work Practice, 32(1), 3-16. doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2017.1300878. google scholar
• Burgon, H. (2014). Equine-assisted therapy and learning with at-risk young people. London: Palgrave Macmillan. google scholar
• Coleman, V.E. (2012). Reclaiming boundaries through equine assisted counseling. In K.S. Trotter (Ed.), Harnessing the power of equine assisted counseling: Adding animal assisted therapy to your practice (pp. 27-40). New York:Routledge. google scholar
• Corello, A.V. (1986). Equus: The ritual sacrifice of the male child. Psychoanalytic Review, 73(2), 191-211. PMID: 3092264. google scholar
• DePrekel, M., & Neznik, K. (2012). Animal assisted group interventions for the treatment of trauma. In K.S. Trotter google scholar
• (Ed.), Harnessing the power of equine assisted counseling: Adding animal assisted therapy to your practice (pp. 41-48). New York: Routledge. google scholar
• Dingman, A. (2008). Hoof prints: Equine therapy for autistic children. ENCOUNTER: Education for Meaning and Social Justice, 21(4), 11-13. google scholar
• Equine-assisted psychotherapy. (2021, 19 October). In APA Dictionary of Psychology. Retrieved from https:// dictionary.apa.org/equine-assisted-psychotherapy. google scholar
• Equus. (2022, 11 October). Retrieved from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/equus. google scholar
• George, T.D. (1999). The disruption of health: Shaffer, Foucault, and ‘the normal.’ Journal of Medical Humanities, 20(4), 231-245. google scholar
• Glenn, J. (1976). Alan Strang as an adolescent: A discussion of Peter Shaffer’s Equus. International Journal of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 5, 473-487. PMID: 955799. google scholar
• Kovacs, G., Dijke A., & Enders-Slegers, M. (2020). Psychodynamic based equine-assisted psychotherapy in adults with intertwined personality problems and traumatization: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(16), 5661. 1-18. doi:10.3390/ijerph17165661. google scholar
• Morrison, M.L. (2007). Health benefits of animal-assisted interventions. Complementary Health Practice Review 12(1), 51-62. doi.org/10.1177/1533210107302397. google scholar
• Mustazza, L. (1992). A jealous God: ritual and judgment in Shaffer’s Equus. Papers on Language & Literature, 28(2), 174-184. google scholar
• Scott, N. (2005). Special needs, special horses: A guide to the benefits of therapeutic riding. Denton, Texas: University of North Texas Press. google scholar
• Shaffer, P. (1977). Equus. London: Penguin Books. google scholar
• Shaffer, P. (1982). Preface. In The Collected Plays of Peter Shaffer, (pp. vii - xviii). New York: Harmony Books. google scholar
• Shelef, A., Brafman, D., Rosing, T., Weizman, A., Stryjer, R., & Barak, Y. (2019). Equine assisted therapy for patients with post traumatic stress disorder: A case series study. Military Medicine, 184(9/10:5), 394-399. doi. org/10.1093/milmed/usz036. google scholar
• Simkin, D.R., Saul, J., Pentz, J.E., Lubar, J.F., Little, K.D., & Thatcher, R.W. (2017). Complementary and integrative medicine in child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: Nutrition, equine-assisted therapy, art therapy, and neurofeedback. In P.L. Gerbarg, P.R. Muskin & R.P. Brown (Eds.), Complementary and integrative treatments in psychiatric practice (1st ed., pp. 21-37). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association Publishing. google scholar
• Slutzky, J.E. (1976). Equus and the psychopathology of passion. International Journal of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 5, 489-500. google scholar
• Stacy, J.R. (1976). The sun and the horse: Peter Shaffer’s search for worship. Educational Theatre Journal, 28(3), 325-337. doi:10.2307/3206422. google scholar
• Stamm, J.L. (1976). Peter Shaffer’s Equus - a psychoanalytic exploration. International Journal of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 5, 449-461. google scholar
• Stanton, D., McKissock, B., & Dailey, R. (2012). The use of mythological themes to elicit socially appropriate behavioral skills. In K.S. Trotter (Ed.), Harnessing the power of equine assisted counseling: Adding animal assisted therapy to your practice (pp. 201-218). New York: Routledge. google scholar
• Taebi, Z., & Razavi, M.S. (2020). Eruption of the submissive: A study of neurosis in Peter Shaffer’s Equus. Higher Education of Social Science, 19(1), 1-12. doi:10.3968/11845. google scholar
• Witham, B.B. (2013). The Anger in Equus. Modern Drama 22(1), 61-66. doi:10.1353/mdr.1979.0039. google scholar
• Woodward, A. (2015). Becoming-animal in Shaffer’s Equus. Deleuze Studies 9(2), 231-256. doi: 10.3366/ dls.2015.0184. google scholar