What is equine assisted therapy?
What is Equine Assisted Therapy?
Equine Assisted Therapy is a therapeutic approach that involves interactions between child and horse to address various emotional, psychological and behavioural challenges.
It has the same goals as regular therapies and uses similar methods.
It provides:
- a safe environment for therapy that is out in nature and around horses, making it feel more natural and less formal. It is less intimidating than traditional therapy for children and adolescents.
- it is authentic and natural. Equine Therapy and being out in nature allow for more authenticity from the therapist. Children acknowledge this. It helps them to feel they can be themselves as well.
- it represents ‘aliveness’. Like humans, horses are living. Their behaviours, emotions and characteristics are similar to humans. Their authenticity creates a safe space to connect with clients’ inner thoughts and feelings. Being around horses can remind children of things, bring up sensations and trigger emotions. These can be explored during sessions.
Our goal at The Paddock Practitioner is to gain insight into the client's inner emotional world. Horses help supply that access through their positive effect on the client.
Why Equine Assisted Therapy Works
For many adults and children, traditional talk therapy can feel overwhelming. Sitting face-to-face in a clinical setting, being the focus of direct questioning, or feeling pressure to open up can often lead to resistance, anxiety, or complete shutdown. These settings can unintentionally feel intimidating, making it difficult to build trust or create meaningful change.
At The Paddock Practitioner, we offer a different approach.
Equine Assisted Therapy introduces a calming, non-judgmental third party—the horse. Horses act as co-facilitators in the therapeutic process, helping individuals engage in a more natural, grounded, and authentic way. Whether walking, grooming, or simply being in the presence of a horse, the focus shifts away from the self and onto the shared experience. This subtle shift can reduce internal resistance and open the door for deeper emotional exploration.
The combination of working alongside horses and being immersed in nature creates a safe, soothing environment. It allows clients—both adults and children—to feel more at ease, lowering defences and encouraging genuine self-expression. Over time, this unique therapeutic model fosters trust, emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience.
Equine Assisted Therapy is not only gentle—it’s effective. It meets individuals where they are, without pressure or judgement, and supports healing through connection, movement, and presence.
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