Every October, World Mental Health Day tries to expand the conversation around mental health and brings awareness to the many ways you can improve your emotional well-being. When it comes to mental health, the solution is multi-faceted.
I wish I could tell you a story about the exact point in time when I started to struggle with my mental health. It feels so woven into the fabric of who I am - I honestly can’t remember a different version of myself.
In college I was diagnosed with anxiety and OCD. There was relief in that diagnosis. It was liberating in a way. Hearing the psychologist say those words was how, I imagine, Harry Potter felt when the Sorting Hat placed him in Gryffindor House. I felt like after all this time I knew who I was. And more than ever, I felt equipped with information to improve my psychological state.
The gentle power of horses
For me, treatment has come in many forms. But turning to the steady presence and gentle power of horses has been the most healing. Have you ever been on a trotting horse that starts to canter and then gallop? It’s a soothing rhythm as you push through the wind, you almost feel like you’re flying. It’s as if the horse’s strength has become my own and I’m able to escape my intrusive thoughts and feel at peace.
Equally, I have found the practice of caring for horses to be therapeutic. The calming, repetitive nature of grooming, the physical and distracting qualities of mucking stalls and the connection of walking alongside a horse while exercising them - each stride a step towards trust. There’s something so simple, yet incredibly healing in knowing you’re working with each other. It’s the most pure and honest relationship I’ve ever experienced, and for that, horses are a mental health tool I continue to come back to.
And I’m not the only one. Some studies show equine-assisted psychotherapy can help with a variety of mental health issues including anxiety, low self-esteem, addiction, trauma, depression and antisocial behavior. More than 66,000 individuals in 2019 participated in equine-assisted activities or therapies, according to the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH).
Horsemanship skills not required
Stride Ahead, an equine-assisted psychotherapy program in Decatur, Georgia works with everyone including veterans, at-risk youth and recovering addicts.
The nonprofit uses an approach where there’s no horseback riding - the therapy takes place exclusively on the ground where the client can observe the horses, walk along side of them and pet them. This model is called the Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association or EAGALA.
This method is impactful because it doesn’t require any horsemanship skills, says Chris Lobkowicz, a certified equine specialist at Stride Ahead. “You just come as you are.”
A typical session starts with a touch base meeting that allows clients to briefly discuss their goals for therapy. This is followed by time in the paddock with one to two horses, an equine therapist who teaches the client horse safety and monitors the horses’ behavior, and a mental health professional ensuring the emotional well-being of the client.
Sometimes clients apply real-life scenarios to their interactions with the horses. The horses serve as metaphors for characters in their own lives. With this technique, the horses make their own choices and are free to move throughout the paddock, closer or further away from the client. This can create shifts in how the client perceives their life stories. This self-distancing approach allows for the modeling of boundaries and connections we would see in human-to-human interactions, according to research by the Indiana University School of Social Work.
Throughout the session, clients can discuss what they’re noticing, experiencing and feeling with the therapist and equine specialist. Observing the horses’ behaviors and emotions is a way for the client to open up about their own. Sessions may also be used for mindfulness- like watching the horses move around the space, listening to them chew or taking in how they smell. This can help clients tap into the present, quiet down their mind and focus on what they’re doing in the moment.
Sessions generally last an hour and are followed by a debrief. This method also works for group therapy.
The objective is to create a safe space for clients to discover answers for themselves. “The client has the ability to address and reach their own goals,” says Bobbi Woolwine, a licensed clinical social worker at Stride Ahead, and former depression researcher at Emory University. “We’re here to help guide them on that.”
Why horses?
“Horses are intuitive,” explains Woolwine. She says horses have exceptional social intelligence. They can read our body language and sense our emotions. “Horses often recognize people from past experiences by their facial expressions.”
The Stride Ahead team says another reason horses are perfect for therapy is they live in the present. They have to always be alert because they are prey animals that depend on flight to outrun their predators.
“To protect themselves, horses must be alert from a distance - determining who is coming towards them and if it’s a friend or foe,” says Woolwine.
When a client enters the paddock, the horses immediately have their eyes on them. They’re always assessing the situation and evaluating what type of energy the client is bringing.
Because horses live in the present, they’re quick to let negative interactions go. Two horses have a scuffle and it’s over.
“Their observations and interactions are always honest,” says Lobkowicz.
Healing for all
Lobkowicz says this treatment is beneficial for anyone. “This is something that can help bring you some ‘aha’ moments, some clarity.”
Stride Ahead doesn’t require a referral from a doctor, although every program is different. Like many elective therapies, horse therapy is generally not covered by traditional medical insurance companies. Programs like Stride Ahead offer grants or sliding scale fees to make therapy more accessible.
As humans, we place so much value on things that mean absolutely nothing to horses, like what people think about us. Horses don’t care. They are simple, but not without purpose. They are strong and stable, but vulnerable. They dismiss hostility and demand trust. Maybe it’s because of those qualities, horses have the innate ability to open us up to a part of ourselves that allows for honest self-expression, healing, acceptance and better mental health.
You can donate to nonprofits that provide equine-assisted therapy by using the form below or clicking here.
