What Is Equine Therapy?

Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is a type of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) that includes horses in therapeutic practices under the guidance of one or more mental health professionals. While equine therapy activities widely vary, the treatment typically involves grooming, feeding, cleaning up after, and sometimes riding horses. It should be noted that many equine therapists and equine therapy programs do not require or (even) allow patients to ride the horse.

The goal of equine therapy sessions is to build a bonding relationship between caretaker and horse. Whether or not this involves riding the horse depends on the opinion of those overseeing the treatment, namely, if they believe one must ride to build the bond between caretaker and horse. 

Generally speaking, the mental health professionals who oversee equine therapy sessions are occupational therapists specializing in treating, grooming, and riding horses. However, some equine therapies split the responsibility between a licensed therapist and a horse trainer.  

What Are Equine Therapy Residential Treatment Centers?

Equine therapy at a residential treatment center does not revolve around troubled youth riding horses, though that can be part of an equine therapy program. Equine therapy programs at troubled teen residential treatment centers usually include:

Horse grooming: Troubled teens are instructed to properly groom and care for their chosen pony as their therapeutic companion. The method of grooming allows the teens to bond and become familiar with the horse.

Regular space maintenance: Not all treatment centers will have the resident adolescents clean their horse's assigned space, but some essential maintenance will be required, such as maintaining a clear area, taking care of riding and training gear, and more. Feeding the horse is generally required of the teens in the equine therapy program. This work can help teens learn fundamental life skills and teach them greater responsibility.

Therapeutic riding: In an overstimulated world where teens are internet addicts, many troubled teens have never ridden a horse before attending an equine therapy program at a residential treatment center. Learning to connect with and enjoy the outside world through their horse's movements as they ride can be life-altering for many troubled teens.

Instruction from professionals: The time troubled teens spend with the horses will always be supervised by certified horse handlers. This supervision keeps everyone supported and guarantees a positive experience for the teens and the horses.

Equine training: With the assistance of professional trainers and mental health therapists, teens will participate in training their horses. This process can be a hands-on form of therapy as the teen will need to learn to control negative impulses to help prepare the horse.

Teens prone to anger management issues will learn that anger will frighten a horse, generally not responding well to anger. With other teens struggling with oppositional defiance disorder, the disobedience of the horse they are training can show the teen clearly what their poor behavior is like for others and help the teen focus on improvement.

The Four Necessary Components for Any Equine Therapy Program

Every equine therapy program runs its version or twist on equine-assisted therapy. For instance, many residential treatment centers offer equine therapy as a supplemental treatment, whereas others classify their program as an equine therapy facility. But regardless of differing methodologies or slight differences in their psychotherapeutic curriculum, all equine therapy programs provide troubled teens with the following four components in order to be effective:  

• Equine care – Much of the real bonding between an at-risk girl and her assigned pony will be through the care she gives. Not only will she receive the natural benefits of caring for her horse, but her horse will develop a relationship as quickly as when she first takes care of her equine companion's needs.
• Equine therapy – Many troubled teenage girls are closed off towards most adults -- especially psychiatrists or counselors. However, even the most closed-off teens are swayed to open up with the buffer of her horse, providing a cushion between herself and her counselor. As troubled girls train and ride their pony or full-grown steed, they can take the time to open up in either verbal or non-verbal cues -- ultimately allowing the counselor to reach them on a therapeutic level.
• Talk therapy – Traditional one-on-one therapy, while not consistently effective by itself, is still necessary for treating the behavioral, emotional, and mental health-related needs of troubled teenage girls. 
• Full accredited academic curriculum - An educational curriculum is an obvious must for any treatment center catering to youths. What's more, top-tier residential treatment centers, therapeutic boarding schools, and even equine therapy programs provide students with unique educational opportunities -- including a curriculum where they can go at their own pace (including graduating early) or grade restoration where they can go back and fix their overall GPA.  

Horses Advance the Therapeutic Process

Equine therapy is recognized to help progress the therapeutic and remedial process of troubled teenage girls at a significantly greater rate than traditional one-on-one therapy. Through the horse's bonding and emotionally disarming nature, mental health experts can help teens approach deep-seated problems and bring them to the surface where they can ultimately be worked through and overcome.

What's more, equine-assisted therapy can assist troubled adolescent girls in acknowledging their strengths and confronting their vulnerabilities. And, unlike conventional one-on-one medicine - where teenage girls tend to be closed down and apathetic towards their therapist - equine therapy's experiential characteristics cause therapy sessions to leave a long-lasting impression instead of superficial and fleeting progress they otherwise would be.

Kinds Of Troubled Teen Girls Who Benefit From Equine Therapy

Not all struggling adolescent girls will fit into equine therapeutics. Some may be due to hypersensitivities or prior adverse occurrences with horses. But if a parent's struggling teenage daughter grapples with the issues below, they may want to contemplate utilizing equine therapy.

• Low self-esteem
• Anger management
• Depression/Suicidal ideation
• ADD/ADHD
• Eating disorders
• Defiance
• Family relationship deterioration
• Mood disorders
• Substance abuse/Addictive behaviors
• Poor academic performance
• Anxiety
• Motivation loss
• Depending on your troubled child's particular needs, they will have an individualized care plan created for them, determining how to best utilize the horse as part of the therapeutic healing process.

Basic Activities For Teen Girls In Equine-Assisted Therapy

Every EAT residential treatment center runs its equine-assisted therapy program slightly differently than the others, with some offering a greater emphasis on equine therapy and others offering it as an optional supplement. However, no matter what class parents of a troubled teenage girl decide on for their child, some general activities should be anticipated from any prospective therapeutic program.

Equine Therapy is Effective in Treating More Than Just Mental Health-Related Issues

Equine therapy is a multifaceted therapy that can provide rehabilitative treatment to those suffering from a wide array of issues, including (but not limited to) physical disabilities, mental health-related problems, and behavioral issues. 

When it comes to the more mentally focused equine therapy, riding is more of a side-characteristic of an equine therapy program. Instead, teens are guided to perform caretaking duties for the horse, such as grooming, haltering and directing a horse, feeding, and other tasks the therapist deems suitable. This allows the therapist to perceive the behaviors of their patient and will enable the teen to let down some of their resistance to regular therapy.

Non-Judgmental and Unbiased - Promoting Work Ethic and Trust With Others

Horses are excellent motivators when it comes to psychotherapy. For example, They force adolescent girls from ~regtion~ to wake up early to feed, brush, groom, water, and walk/ride them. 

At an equine therapeutic program, girls engage in a long list of equine-related activities, including cleaning the horses living quarters. 

While it is not that common, some equine therapy programs even encourage teenage students to gain wages to purchase additional procurements that help maintain and care for their horses. After all, Horses must be brushed, walked, and closely attended to daily.

These motivations and responsibilities easily mirror and can be applied to the real world. For example, most of us have to work. Whether raising children or going to work, many of us have no choice but to wake up early and handle business. In this sense, equine therapy also prepares teenage girls to develop independent living skills to succeed later in life.