What is Equine Assisted Psychotherapy?

Horses are prey animals with highly attuned perceptions to emotions, relationships, and a sense of safety. They have highly developed social systems with established and lasting relationships amongst themselves. Their responses to and dependency on non-verbal communication within their herd allows them to model healthy communication and share insight into our own human emotions and behaviors within relationships. Horses live and function fully in the present moment, so they do not judge or lie; rather, they make it safe to share what we often internalize while offering constant feedback about the relationship. Because they maintain a primal connection to their senses and emotions, horses model healthy coping strategies for emotion regulation, self-awareness, and core relationship skills with others.

If you decide equine therapy is right for you or your child, therapy will be goal oriented, client-centered, and allow you to form new experiences and relationships with the horses. Therapy will also be action-oriented in which clients work to accomplish certain activities with the horse in order to work toward their personal therapy goals. While most work with horses will be “on the ground,” riding may be something that can be worked toward depending on each client’s individual goals for therapy. Whether on the ground or on the horse’s back, equine activities will enhance each client’s ability to develop coping mechanisms, improve communication, increase and develop self-esteem, identify emotions, increase emotion regulation, practice responsibility, process pain and trauma, make decisions, identify and advocate for their needs, set boundaries, and develop empathy. By using metaphors and working in the moment with the horses, clients have the chance to experience their own strengths and weaknesses in relationships with themselves and others. Rather than doing things the “right way,” horses teach clients how to identify their emotions, thoughts, and needs in order to develop a deeper sense of self awareness so they can succeed in relationships now and in the future.