Equine Assisted Therapy: What Is It and What Are The Benefits?

in Anxiety / Emotional Intelligence / Emotional Regulation / Grief / Mental Health / Post Traumatic Stress Disorder  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Written By: Maeve Phelan, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program

WHAT IS EQUINEAssisted Therapy (EAT)? Equine assisted therapy is a form of treatment that involves activities with horses in an equine environment. Such activities include ground work, learning to care for horses, and riding or learning to ride horses. Equine assisted therapy is often used in tandem with other therapeutic interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and experiential therapy. Taking care of horses demands dedication, focus, collaboration, and selflessness. Observing, being around horses, and caring for horses can teach people:

  • Emotional awareness
  • Problem solving skills
  • Confidence
  • Trust
  • Healthy relationship skills
  • Empathy
  • Social skills
  • Impulse control

The history of the horse as a pet, a working animal, a transportation animal, and an entertainment animal is what gives rise to the equine–human relationship. Horses are “specifically identified to have a strong spiritual power” in Native American traditions, and they are truth tellers who may guide people on the right path (Alchin, 2017). Horses, as herd and prey animals, are deeply attuned to emotions. They can sense human feelings, often responding with heightened anxiety or, conversely, calmness, depending on the emotional state they perceive. Because horses exhibit social and responsive behaviors similar to humans, clients/patients can easily form a connection with them. This emotional sensitivity in horses makes working with horses an impactful way for individuals to gain insight into their own emotions and how they express them.

Therapy with horses provides a unique perspective, as horses are nonjudgmental, mirror human emotions, and serve as metaphors for real life experiences. People who have participated in equine assisted therapy report feeling a sense of self confidence since horses don’t discriminate against someone’s physical appearance or their past. The prey and herd nature of horses makes them incredibly observant which allows them to provide emotional feedback even quicker than interactions with human therapists. Clients often report feeling uniquely seen or understood due to these types of interactions with horses (White-Lewis 2019).

Who benefits from EAT?

Everyone can benefit from equine assisted therapy! However, EAT most commonly benefits individuals dealing with conditions such as ADD, anxiety, ADHD, autism, cerebral palsy, dementia, depression, developmental delays, genetic disorders like Down syndrome, traumatic brain injuries, behavioral challenges, abuse recovery, and a range of other mental health concerns.

A study at Columbia University found that equine therapy reduced PTSD symptoms and symptoms of depression amongst war veterans. Drs Yuval Neria and Prudence Fisher discovered through their research that horses and PTSD patients are both similarly preoccupied with concerns of trust and safety. The use of horses provided veterans with therapeutic support in overcoming fears and forming trust in new relationships (Fisher & Neria 2021). Overall the study showed major improvements in the symptoms of PTSD and depression in war veterans.

Additionally, multiple studies have shown that equine assisted therapy enhanced the emotional well-being and reduced behavioral issues in adolescents facing mental health challenges. Equine-assisted therapy can provide behavioral benefits for teens, such as better impulse regulation. The process of calmly and non-reactively communicating with a horse encourages the development of emotional awareness, emotion regulation, self-control, and impulse management. Studies indicate several positive changes in adolescent clients, such as boosted confidence, self-esteem, and assertiveness, along with a reduction in undesirable behaviors (Wilson et al. 2017). The therapy’s effectiveness is attributed to the experiential aspect of working with horses. Enhancing emotional skills and behaviors through EAT help create a stronger emotional foundation for teens facing mental health challenges.

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References

Alchin, L. (2017). Animal symbols. Retrieved from https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/animal-symbols.htm

Fisher PW, Lazarov A, Lowell A, et al. Equine-assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder among military veterans: an open trial. J Clin Psychiatry. 2021;82(5):21m14005.

Hoagwood KE, Acri M, Morrissey M, Peth-Pierce R. Animal-Assisted Therapies for Youth with or at Risk for Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review. Appl Dev Sci. 2017;21(1):1-13

White-Lewis S. Equine-assisted therapies using horses as healers: A concept analysis. Nurs Open. 2019 Sep 27;7(1):58-67. doi: 10.1002/nop2.377. PMID: 31871691; PMCID: PMC6917924.

Wilson K, Buultjens M, Monfries M, Karimi L. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy for adolescents experiencing depression and/or anxiety: A therapist’s perspective. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2017 Jan;22(1):16-33. doi: 10.1177/1359104515572379. Epub 2016 Jul 27. PMID: 26668260.