Equine Therapy
Equine Therapy
What is Equine Therapy?
Equine Therapy is a powerful experiential therapeutic approach that uses structured interaction with horses to support emotional awareness, nervous-system regulation, and behavioural change. Grounded in experiential and trauma-informed practice, equine therapy offers a non-verbal, embodied pathway to insight—particularly valuable for individuals who struggle to access emotions through traditional talk therapy alone.
When is Equine Therapy helpful?
Equine therapy is especially effective for trauma and PTSD, addiction recovery, anxiety, burnout, emotional dysregulation, attachment difficulties, and issues related to trust, boundaries, and self-confidence. Horses are highly sensitive to human emotional states and respond in real time, providing immediate and honest feedback that helps individuals recognise patterns of behaviour, stress responses, and relational dynamics.
Equine therapy and your environment
Within a private residential or discreet one-to-one care setting, equine therapy is delivered in a highly personalised and carefully paced manner. Sessions are adapted to the individual’s emotional capacity, nervous-system state, and therapeutic goals, ensuring the experience remains safe, grounded, and supportive. No riding experience is required; all work takes place from the ground and is guided by qualified clinicians and equine specialists.
Equine therapy encourages clients to develop presence, emotional regulation, clear communication, and healthy boundaries. Through guided interaction, individuals learn to observe their own reactions, regulate emotional states, and experiment with new ways of relating—both to the horse and, by extension, to themselves and others.
In a residential setting, equine therapy is reinforced by reduced external stimulation, a predictable daily rhythm, and therapeutic containment. This allows insights gained during sessions to be processed, integrated, and embodied rather than remaining purely experiential.
Equine therapy and recovery?
When integrated within a holistic treatment model, equine therapy complements psychological counselling, trauma-informed therapy, somatic work, and nervous-system regulation. It is particularly effective in supporting clients who have experienced relational trauma or who find safety, trust, or emotional expression challenging.
Who is 12-Step counselling for?
Equine therapy is especially well suited to high-functioning individuals who benefit from experiential, embodied approaches to growth and recovery. Delivered within a private, natural environment, it offers a unique opportunity to reconnect with intuition, regulate emotional states, and develop more authentic, resilient ways of relating—supporting long-term psychological wellbeing.
