What Actually Happens in an Equine Assisted Therapy Session?

Most families arrive at the farm for their first session with the same two questions: do we need horse experience, and what will we actually be doing? The answers are no, and less than you'd think — because the horses do a surprising amount of the work.

Why horses?

Horses are prey animals, which means they survive by reading the emotional state of everything around them. They notice tension in a shoulder, a held breath, a smile that doesn't match what's underneath. And they respond to what's real rather than what's performed. For gifted and twice-exceptional kids who have learned to mask, for adoptees carrying attachment wounds, and for anyone who finds face-to-face talk therapy too intense, that honest, judgment-free feedback is powerful.

What a session looks like

A session might involve grooming, leading a horse through the pasture, or simply standing together and noticing what the horse does as feelings come up. There is no riding requirement and no skill being tested. I'm there the whole time as the therapist — the horse is the co-therapist, and the work is in what happens between you.

What to wear and bring

Closed-toe shoes, clothes that can get dusty, and a water bottle in summer. That's it. Everything else — including the goats, chickens, and dogs who often insist on joining — is already here.

If you're curious whether equine assisted therapy could be a fit for you or your child, book a free 15-minute call and ask me anything.