equine therapy

Does anyone do/have done this type of therapy?

I think I'm going to steer clear of psychodynamic therapy for now, but i'm not sure if equine therapy can help with self-esteem and depression. Curious as to what others know about equine therapy, especially personal experience.

I've looked in to this too - the idea really appeals to me, but I see it as complementary to psychodynamic therapy rather than as a replacement. I too would be really interested in hearing from anyone with experience.

I have done this. I would recommend having a situation where the equine facilitator is different than the therapist, though. In my case the therapist was both. She was a skilled horse person who became a therapist, but was better as a horse person and not very experienced as a therapist. I've read where there is usually a two person team--facilitator and therapist. The facilitator goes through the work with you and the horse, and you go back to the therapist to process the experience. I think that gives you a better chance at having a great facilitator and a great (or at least, competent) therapist. It's expensive, btw. Horses are incredible relationship guides. I can see where, in the right situation, it can be really helpful.

I haven't had it but I've watched videos and thought it fascinating. My friend has horses and I do love to be around them / groom them. I find them very calming.

I know of 4 people, all teens, who've had it. 1 found it helpful - I think she had it for an anxiety disorder (not sure which one). 1 enjoyed it, but I never talked with her about whether she found it helpful. Her main problem was very severe separation anxiety. Another one loved horses, so I assume she enjoyed it, but I've never talked to her about it and I don't know what her issues were. And the last one thought it was ridiculous and only went once - but she was court ordered into the residential treatment center and thought all therapies were useless and ridiculous.

I would think even horseback riding lessons could help with depression and self-esteem. Anything to get you outside, moving, interacting with people and animals can't hurt, right? All the better if the facilitator approaches the thing with a therapeutic eye.

Just to clarify: the equine therapy I did for several months did not involve any riding, though some people end up doing that. No leads were used either. It's more about the relationship and how the horse is so finely tuned to the person that they only feel safe when someone is being congruent (ex: they will not approach if you are being fake confident, but if you are honestly hurting and open, they will tend to you--it brings things up that are good for processing in therapy). It's too complex to describe here, but there has been a lot written about this kind of therapy, especially for children who have been abused.

I have had horses outside my door for over 30 years. There are currently 7 on my farm. I find them extremely therapeutic....like someone mentioned here, just getting outside and DOING something helps. I find just watching my chickens equally therapeutic. But I don't think it's a replacement for traditional therapy. I've heard it IS expensive, so I think if it were me, I'd probably just take some riding lessons somewhere (cheaper, and still the benefit of being around horses) and see how that makes you feel. If you find your spirits rising from that, you can just continue doing that, or then determine that equine therapy might be right for you. I think it can be helpful for anyone. I have a miniature horse I take to our local nursing home pretty much every summer, and it's amazing to see the difference a visit from an animal makes.

I have not, but I did have a healing experience with a horse. A couple years ago my drumming group met out at a local ranch where there are a couple of resident horses, very gentle/loving creatures they are, I'll never forget that day. We sat fairly spread out in a circle in the arena, with the 2 horses walking around among us, I was sitting with my eyes closed listening to the drum and just being and one of the horses came over and pushed her nose into my forehead. It was precious!! The lady who runs the ranch told me that was a very mothering behavior on the horse's part, that she must have been responding to something in me.

I'm a believer that if you believe it will work, and the person you're working with has the same belief, then your chances are a heck of a lot better at success.

Go for it!

I have done mindfulness with horses and found it an amazing experience. I struggle with feelings, but being with horses allowed me to tap into them.

I am curious about this, would you care to share more?

I didn't to equine therapy BUT.....I bought my first horse after my depression hit. My pdoc told me to get into something I had always loved & dressage riding had always been my passion since college & my years of taking equitation in college.

For me the problem with my depression (I didn't realize it at the time) was the situation I was living in & with that not changing, even having my horse & focusing on my dressage riding & practice & showing & then getting my american eskimo dogs & training & showing & breeding them didn't stop my depression nor the suicide attempts at that time. No one could understand WHY? Only looking back from NOW do I understand.

My foal was born right before I went through a trauma with the home care person when my mom was dying of cancer. My foal injured her leg at 3 weeks old & I had to continually care for her along with my Mom....but Izzy my foal was the one thing that got me through that trauma even though it was a struggle. She is an amazing horse & the bonding between us was unbelievable. I left that bad marriage when Izzy was only 2 years old....I am still waiting to bring her to my own farm 2100 miles away from there.

I know someone who runs a therapy horse ranch. All I can say is be careful and ask what their qualifications are. The ppl who run this ranch don't have a degree in anything and they still call it a therapy ranch.

I'll be having an 'equine assisted growth' session on Friday. I'm skeptical but I'm very curious how it will be. I know nothing about horses except that they're big.