The Beauty of Equine Therapy

30th May, 2011 - Posted by Martha M. - No Comments

“The horses come to you for therapy?!” the man asked incredulously as a look of astonishment crossed his face.  I had been introducing him to the DreamPower horses and telling him about “horse therapy.”  Since we were several minutes into the conversation, I had thought he understood that we were talking about human beings receiving psychotherapy with assistance from the horses.  His question and the look on his face made me realize we had a serious misunderstanding occurring and I needed to clarify a few things.

When I mentioned “horse therapy,” as we affectionately call it at DreamPower, I was referring to Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP for short).  “Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) is an experiential therapy in which equines are integral partners in a treatment process that provides the client with opportunities to enhance self-awareness and re-pattern maladaptive behaviors, feelings and attitudes.”

I’m not sure that definition helped very much, so let me try and explain things a little more.  “Equines” includes horses, donkeys, mules and zebras. At DreamPower, we currently have ten riding horses, three miniature horses and one miniature donkey on our equine staff.  The horses (and the mini donkey) help to make the psychotherapy happen.

But what does that mean? And how do horses help people to get better?

Because EFP is an experiential form of therapy, the client and the therapist work together to examine feelings and actions that are happening at that very moment, not only talking about something the clients reports happening in the past.  The client has the opportunity to examine and understand the triggers to emotions and maladaptive behavioral patterns, and then is immediately offered the opportunity to practice other, more helpful behaviors in a safe, therapeutic environment.

Because horses are herd animals and they want to relate to others, horses respond to human moods and emotions, as well as behaviors.  This gives the human client a living, breathing (and sometimes snorting) mirror into herself.  The horse influences the human and the human influences the horse.  Looking into an equine mirror can help the human client develop self-awareness, self-control and a deeper understanding of non-verbal communication.

Because horses are fun, clients are motivated to attend therapy.  Therapeutic work can involve examining painful emotions and uncomfortable situations.  Many clients find extra motivation to participate in this difficult but rewarding process when they are accompanied by a kind and understanding horse.

The therapist’s tasks during an EFP session are to facilitate the communication that is continuously flowing from the horse to the human and from the human to the horse.  The therapist teaches the client new skills that allow him to interact with the horse in a safe and effective way.  The therapist also facilitates the client’s self-awareness while working around the horse by encouraging the client to verbalize thoughts and feelings, by drawing parallels between the client’s relationship with the horse and the client’s relationships in general, and by helping the client to transform the client’s experiences with the horse into changes in his or her life.

EFP happens in a barn setting.  This is very different from therapy in a traditional temperature-controlled office with a closed door.  We refer to EFP in a barn setting as “milieu therapy.”  That means that everything in the therapeutic (barn) environment can be a part of the therapy, including: flies, smells, horse manure, volunteers, the horses, the weather, the barn rules, the hay, the barn cat, when a horse gets sick, and on it goes.  Everything at the barn is potentially involved in the therapeutic process.

Some issues commonly addressed in equine facilitated psychotherapy include: trust, family relationships, self-control, attention and hyper-activity, communication patterns, social skills, past physical or sexual abuse, posttraumatic stress, anxiety, depression, empathy and compassion, health concerns, assertiveness, leadership and decision-making skills.

As a Christian therapist, working with horses provides another wonderful window into our amazing God.  The intricacies of a horse’s body and the exquisite sensitivities of a horse’s personality show me how infinitely creative and detail-oriented our God is.  I am grateful for my days at the barn, when the wonder of the natural world and the order of the universe surround me and continually point to a loving, creative God who cares about each one of us and is at work in the details of our lives every day.

For more information about Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy, please contact Martha McNiel, LMFT at (415) 586-2976 or (408) 686-0535 or visit www.dreampowerhorsemanship.com.