DISCUSSION
In our study, changes in EF in children aged 7–8 years were explored primarily through a 12‐week EAA intervention. To our great surprise, 12 weeks of EAA were effective in improving three cognitive tests: Flanker task, 1‐Back, and More‐odd shifting. That is, 12 weeks of EAA improved IC, WM, and CF significantly.In our research, 12 weeks of EAA were effective in reducing RTs and increasing the accuracy of IC, which is consistent with studies by others (Contreras‐Osorio et al., The results of the study showed an increasing trend in accuracy and a significant decrease in response time in the 1‐Back task. Related studies have shown some improvement in WM and EF in complex sports, such as martial arts (Giordano et al., Exercise as a stressor promotes physiological and psychological arousal (Stork et al., Previous studies have shown that horse‐related activities can increase EF, which is consistent with the present study. First, the horse is motivational and promotes full attention and engagement in the learning situation (Gilboa & Helmer, Although our findings show some significant effects of EAA on the improvement of EF in children aged 7–8 years, some limitations should be acknowledged. First, our EAAG of subjects were mostly active enthusiasts, and there may be uncontrollable effects of preexisting preferences. Second, the age range was chosen at the stage of 7–8 years old, which is a critical period for cognitive development and has a significant effect; if the age range is increased, this result is not universal. Finally, all our studies have produced behavioral results that do not allow for a deeper explanation of brain neural mechanisms, and useful tools are needed to confirm that cognitive engagement in movement is supporting the development of EF in children.