In today’s busy world with all the pressures of work, family, social expectations and simply life in general, it can be incredibly difficult for anyone to relax.

If you combine that with certain mental health problems, like anxiety, it can be even more difficult to let go of day-to-day stressors and really be able to relax, take a step back, or clear your mind. Equine therapy can be a useful way for people to relax and free their minds.

The activities associated with caring for and riding a horse require concentration. When you’re concentrating on the horse, you’re not thinking about the other things that might be causing you additional stress and anxiety. Before you even know it, you’ve been able to let go of your worries, feel better and enjoy more clarity than you did beforehand.

For people who may be struggling with addictions, trauma and many other mental health issues, they don’t know how to cope with their feelings. They may resort to using drugs in an attempt to numb thier sadness, anger, fear or even joy.

For therapy to be successful, one of the first steps is learning to identify, experience and cope with your emotions.

Equine therapy is a powerful way to get in touch with your thoughts and feelings.

During equine therapy, you do not use your mind to address problems. Instead, you must use your body and heart to feel and react in the moment. Horses have a unique ability to sense emotions and react accordingly. If your are angry or aggressive, the horse may become obstinate. If you are anxious, the horse may get skittish. But when approached by someone who is open and calm, the horse is more likely to respond in kind. Witnessing the horse’s response promotes self-awareness and can help people see themselves in a more realistic way

Many people with Mental Health issues have difficulty relating or getting close to other people, yet they manage to establish close bonds with horses.

Through working with horses, people recognize their patterns of interacting with others. Horses do not speak, but they are excellent communicators.

Learning to understand horse behavior can help people learn the way their behavior impacts others.

Whilst riding a horse can be fun, the most important work happens during the interactions between the client and the horse. They immediatley begin to recognize the ways they may be projecting their own issues onto others.

Working with a horse can expose a person’s maladaptive thoughts and behaviour patterns.

Some of the lessons learnt as part of an Equine Therapy session can be as simple as recognising how much physical space the horse needs to feel comfortable.

Without any words, a horse can make it very clear when someone has crossed their boundaries. Trying to control or dominate will not work with a horse.

Likewise, a detached or passive approach can make it difficult to lead a horse.

A Horse is a very large animal. Just their sheer physical size and strength can cause fears, past trauma and feelings of inadequacy or lack of control to surface in a client.

For a lot of clients, one of their primary fears is that the horse won’t like them. They also hold fears that due to their physical size, they could hurt them.

Rather than giving in to their usual reaction – to escape or get defensive – people learn to tolerate and process the emotion. In a safe environment, clients learn to face their fears. They build confidence in their ability to overcome challenges.

Horses are very soothing, gentle animals. They are straightforward in their interactions without lying or manipulating. They do not judge or blame. Their presence alone can be very healing.

When people open themselves up, they grow in their ability to build relationships and to ask for help.

People undergoing equine therapy should be accompanied and monitored by a professional in horse care, especially if the person is not familiar with horses themselves.

Riding a horse is typically a solo activity, grooming, feeding, and leading a horse can also be done by a single person. Even people with physical disabilities can often ride or care for horses with the right assistance.

Equine therapy gives people a chance to be alone with the horse and their thoughts, which can be useful for people who are looking for a quiet, meditative activity.

Successfully riding a horse and completing tasks associated with caring for a horse can also give people a feeling of independence and self-sufficiency.
Caring for another living being is a great way to feel that you yourself are contributing something useful to the world.

Clients may find themselves vulnerable when trying to open up about emotional challenges, past experiences, or life transitions. A horse can offer a reference point to use for processing these emotions.

When dealing with emotions can be difficult for clients to express, it may be easier to process by using the horse as an example, aligning their experience with the horse’s experiences in the moment.

Externalizing the content in this way can make things easier to approach and process through.

A benefit of using equine-assisted therapy in the treatment of anxiety is helping clients practice vulnerability in a safe environment.

As clients learn to interact with the horse and try new things, they are being asked to step out of their comfort zone with the help and support of the therapist and the horse.

Clients can then process their experience, such as the fears and challenges, as well as any insights, discoveries, or victories in those moments during therapy.

The ultimate goal of addiction treatment is to help clients live sober, healthy, and productive lives.

Many times in addiction treatment, clients are also working hard to heal hurts within relationship dynamics, such as within a family or with their partner. Learning to trust, practice vulnerability, and communicate effectively can be a challenge during this treatment process.

Equine Therapy can help clients learn how to develop a sense of trust through their interactions with the horse as they gain a sense of safety and build a relationship. The experience can encourage clients to be vulnerable as they learn new things and interact with the horse.

For clients struggling with ADHD, the sense of accomplishment in an equine-assisted therapy session can be of great benefit. Clients feel that they’ve achieved something on their own, rather than being told to do something.

Children, teens, and adults can struggle with PTSD. Equine-assisted therapy is commonly being used if the treatment of PTSD for veterans.

A lot of veterans suffering PTSD believe hat after what they’ve been through with their PTSD and depression, they never thought they’d be able to bond with someone again and feel that personal connection.

Through the use of Equine Therapy, they are beginning to build that feeling of connection that they are able to take that into the rest of their lives and relationships.

Whilst office-based therapy is an important and beneficial part of a client’s therapy, a counsellor’s office can feel very formal, and quite artificial to many people.

Children and teenagers may feel intimidated by such a clinical setting and may be less likely to open up and express their real thoughts and feelings.

Equine therapy takes place outdoors, in a more natural setting, surrounded by animals and nature. People feel more at ease and therefore more likely to open up about their struggles and life circumstances.

It requires participants to be aware of their surroundings and in tune with the animal that they’re working with.