Equine assisted therapy (also known as EAT) is a growing form of therapy and psychological healing. Through the bond between humans and horses, this form of therapy can include
- Grooming
- Leading
- Riding
- Or even just watching the horses.
It focuses on building trust, communication, and creating more emotional awareness. It can also help with strengthening coordination and balance.
Horses are intuitive animals. They can sense human emotions through body language and tone of voice. Allowing them to mirror feelings, this helps individuals to gain an insight into their own emotional states.
By just being around horses, many people have found that it calms them and makes them feel understood. It can have both physical and mental effect, such as:
- Horses don’t judge, helping clients to recognise and manage their own emotions,
- Interacting with horses can lower cortisol levels and promote relaxation,
- Engaging with such a large and powerful animal helps to build personal confidence,
- Riding and grooming horses can also help to enhance core strength, balance, coordination, and motor skills.
Equine assisted therapy can benefit many different people through wide conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, Behavioural difficulties in children and adolescents and many more.
Would you like to learn more about Pet Assisted Therapy or Equine Behaviour, why not have a look at?
Animal Behaviour eBook
Caring For Horses Short Course