Guide to Equine Assisted Therapy

Approximately one in five adults and one in seven children and youth suffer from mental health disorder over their life span. Yet, available treatments for mental health problems are only moderately effective, and about half of those who need treatment are not benefitted by current treatments, and many don’t even seek them. Equine-assisted therapy is a novel, experiential treatment approach showing significant promise for adults, children and youth across a range of mental health problems. These treatments use a horse (or horses) to facilitate communication and mindful awareness of thoughts, emotions and behaviors in an experientially oriented approach via groundwork or riding. Interactions with horses have shown to foster emotional regulation, self-confidence, reflection, and insight, by which well-being is facilitated. The current book describes the rational for these treatments, add to the knowledge about recent progress in applying them to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and more, and analyze the nature of the bonding between humans and equines which makes these relationships so therapeutic and healing.