Equine therapy, or equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP), is a form of animal-assisted therapy that teaches individuals how to groom, care for and ride horses. The goal of horse therapy is to use experience with horses to improve emotional and behavioral outcomes.
Small studies and anecdotal evidence have shown equine therapy can help reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and impulsiveness common to many mental health conditions. However, more data is needed to test its effectiveness.
A licensed equine therapy program is led by a mental health professional, who guides participants in reflecting on their relationship with the horse. Because horses live in herds and are prey to larger animals in the wild, they’re highly sensitive to the emotions and behavior of others, including humans.
Please Note: This is for informational purposes only. Alaskan Sunrise Behavioral Health does not offer equine-assisted psychotherapy. However, there are providers in the community that do offer this service and this is why we mention it here for those that may be interested in searching for a provider in the area that does offer this service.
Reference:
nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Treatments/Complementary-Health-Approaches