How Horses Can Help Humans

By: Patricia Salem (Patricia is a former professional equine massage therapist and recreational rider.)

Anyone who spends time around horses knows how therapeutic the experience can be. Those benefits have been formally harnessed with various forms of horse therapy, some of which have been around since the days of Ancient Greece.

Equine-assisted therapy and similar modalities started taking off during the middle of the 20th century with a renewed interest in psychotherapy and alternative healing methods. Indeed, modern conflicts have helped drive horse therapy into the mainstream, as it has been proven an effective way for military veterans to help recover from both physical and emotional trauma.

There are multiple different types of therapy involving horses that serve specific populations and require various types of training and credentialing. Some of them address mental health concerns solely with groundwork, whilst others offer physical therapy on horseback.

There can be overlap between therapy methodology and goals, and nomenclature can vary between programs and countries, although the international agencies listed at the end are working to standardize vocabulary. You may have heard of horse therapy using one of these terms:

• Equine-assisted therapy
• Equine-assisted psychotherapy
• Equine-assisted learning • Hippotherapy
• Therapeutic riding
• Adaptive riding

Otra Mas Equine Assisted Therapy in San Juan Capistrano, California, for example, offers equine-assisted therapy and learning programs for both individuals and groups of all ages. Clients only engage in groundwork, where the horse may act as a mirror to their state of mind and help them with relaxation, trust, improved self-esteem, or boundary setting.

Sessions at Otra Mas help build life skills and enhance personal growth, according to Belinda Kiesecker, Executive Director. Participants report feeling more confident or less anxious after engaging in equine-assisted therapy, and a licensed mental health professional is involved in therapy, along with a certified equine specialist.

Recovery homes and treatment centers will enroll members for 30 to 90 days several times per month. Youths with anxiety or ADHD can coordinate individual sessions to help regulate emotions and boost life skills.

Additionally, Otra Mas is involved in the local community. They offer team building sessions for teen athletes and meditation with horses events that are open to anyone.

Like at many other equine-assisted therapy centers, there are also programs at Otra Mas to assist veterans with working through trauma without necessarily involving talk therapy. Military participants learn how to ground themselves using the horse and develop breathing and meditation techniques to help them through challenging situations, like being triggered by the memory of a past trauma.