Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is an effective form of therapy designed to help people with a variety of behavioral and psychological challenges. Instead of an office with a couch, EAP takes place within an arena or barn setting with horses, a mental health professional, and an equine professional.

Through structured and mutually-respectful activities, EAP utilizes the horse to both invoke response from our clients and act as mirror for their behavior. EAP is not play therapy, nor is it some existential experience. The therapist facilitates the session and monitors the client; the equine specialist monitors the horse to read and interpret the subtle ways the horse’s body language communicates comfort, discomfort, and incongruence in the presence of the client.

Using specific exercises and situations, and with the aid of the treatment team, EAP clients learns about themselves and others by processing the horse’s response and their own feelings, behaviors, and patterns during the session.

Equine Assisted Therapy is experiential instead of solely intellectual, which makes it especially effective for treatment-resistant clients, or people having difficulty progressing within the parameters of traditional office therapy.

Remember your English teacher’s adage, “Show, don’t tell”? EAP shows how a person actually responds to difficult and challenging situations right now. The focus moves from the client-therapist relationship to the client’s relationship to the horse, and ultimately, themselves. What kind of life skills does the client utilize in tight or challenging situations? Is that response serving the client? Equine Assisted Therapy can be a powerful and demonstrative adjunct to traditional talk therapy, or can simply provide insight for an individual who is stuck and wanting to change and grow.

A typical session involves a client (or clients); a horse (or horses) who interacts with the client; a Licensed Clinic Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or
other mental health professional who facilitates the session; and an Equine Specialist who monitors the horse and his or her feedback.

The therapists and equine specialists at Horse Sense are highly trained, both within their respective professions and by EAGALA, the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. Continuing education and training, and third-party supervision are an ongoing part of our educational process.

Absolutely! Working within Horse Sense’s supportive environment, it is your fear that may prove especially effective in breaking through old patterns and revealing important insights. No prior knowledge of horses and/or horsemanship is necessary, by the way. 

Yes. EAP is effective in revealing the dynamics between family members, work groups, and couples. Through the use of various group activities, you will come to understand the interplay of patterns, coping mechanisms, and behaviors that surround your relationships. And you’ll have the opportunity to modify those behaviors as you work with our horses and each other.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is still relatively new in the field of mental health services, however there is fast-growing evidence of EAP’s effectiveness in a variety of scenarios and situations. Quantifiable research and studies on Equine Assisted Practices, including the recent work by Dr. Kay Trotter, are just beginning to emerge amid the growing body of data. Equine Assisted Therapy also incorporates some of the most effective aspects of other types of conventional therapy.

Yes and no. While therapeutic riding focuses on the physical benefits of horseback riding for the client, Equine Assisted Therapy focuses on helping the client in areas such as building communication skills, setting appropriate boundaries, managing anger, and other emotional/internal issues.

That depends on many factors. Some clients come to EAP as an adjunct part of their traditional therapy. Others come as part of a larger treatment program. And, like other forms of therapy, some clients choose to work with us for an indeterminate number of sessions until their situations are resolved.

At Horse Sense, we utilize two types of programs: equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) and equine assisted learning (EAL). EAP is effective for clients with mental health diagnoses that include post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), eating disorders, depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. EAP is idea for individuals, couples, and families seeking enhance or improve their understanding of relationship dynamics, coping mechanisms, and boundary issues. They can learn new skills for coping with stress, communicating with clarity and focus, and respecting boundaries. They can have increased self-respect and confidence and better discipline. As a result of EAP counseling, clients can gain a healthier connection with themselves and others.

EAL is utilized for organizational team building, personal growth and life skills learning. EAL is ideal for organizations seeking to develop better leadership skills, more creative problem solving, healthier communication in the workplace, and conflict management skills within their leaders or project teams. Teams working through the EAL process may uncover hidden strengths while finding renewed commitment, focus, and clarity to complete projects as a united front.

Each client undergoes evaluation by our mental health professionals prior to beginning treatment to determine whether EAP is an appropriate form of therapy for their specific situation. The therapist may deem EAP inappropriate for the following:

• Most children under the age of six (due to safety issues).
• Clients with severe cognitive impairment.
• Clients with physical conditions that do not allow for safe interaction with horses
• Clients with agoraphobia.
• Clients not taking their medication(s).
• Clients who are severely traumatized (determined by therapist during evaluation).

While we may work with recovering addicts, addicts who are actively “using” are referred to rehabilitation programs. Likewise, we do not perform couples counseling when domestic violence is current; we recommend individual therapy for the safety of both parties. If you are uncertain whether EAP may an effective treatment for your situation, contact Horse Sense to discuss your situation with our staff.

Horse Sense of the Carolinas accepts both Medicaid and Health Choice and bills them directly. For other forms of insurance, we provide you with a “receipt” that you can self-submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. For these forms of insurance or private insurance with a carrier such as Blue Cross Blue Shield or CIGNA, you are encouraged to check ahead with the insurance company to determine if you will be reimbursed for these services and to ask how much that reimbursement will be. Reimbursement rates vary depending on the company and type of plan. Payment for your session at Horse Sense is expected at the time of service.

We have both covered and indoor facilities, which enables us to work year-round no matter what the weather. Obviously, we don’t work in severe or dangerous weather conditions, including bad storms or snow. We may opt to postpone and reschedule your session in these circumstances.

We feel the most ideal and productive way to conduct Equine Assisted Therapy is at the Horse Sense facility, where we have access to the proper environment, tools, and individual horses that give us the most flexibility in any situation. However, we can provide on-site services for select clients, bringing our team of horses and EAP professionals directly to your facility. Call Horse Sense and talk to one of our staff for more information on how this might work for you.

Obviously, you wouldn’t want to show up at our barn in your finest designer clothing. Dress comfortably! And dress to fit the weather. Due to our cool and sometimes-unpredictable mountain climate, we advise dressing in layers. Sessions might start out at one temperature, but become much cooler or warmer as they progress.

Visit our website at HorseSenseOtc.com. You will have access to valuable information about our services, our staff, and our facility. Read up on our specific program offerings for individuals, groups, and families. Join us for one of our free tours and demonstrations. We also have links for medical and mental health professionals seeking Continuing Education Units.

Horse Sense is a recognized leader in the field of equine facilitated programs, and offers an entire curriculum of consulting services for professionals and programs through our Trailblazers program and website, including teleclasses, internships, apprenticeships, trainings, and manuals on specific therapy programs. You will also find many resources at our Business Consulting section.

Our book, Horse Sense, Business Sense, provides a terrific starting point for those seeking information on establishing or improving their therapy business, and for those exploring the field for the first time.

Referring agencies should expect to provide Horse Sense of the Carolinas with proper release forms signed by the clients so that important clinical information may be shared (such as assessments/evaluations, diagnosis, drug screen results, treatment goals, and progress notes). We also have a simple referral form on our website at HorseSenseOTC.com, where you can complete basic information about the client for our records. (link them to the following page: http://www.horsesenseotc.com/eap/eap-referral)