Equine Therapy & Depression

The benefits of pet-assisted therapy have been well documented over the years. More recently, therapy using horses has been seen as a means to help those with a variety of mental illnesses including depression.

  1. Reasons for Using Horses

    • Interaction with horses gives patients a new focus.

      Horses are often used for psychotherapy programs. As patients find they can work and communicate with an animal of this size, they tend to become more confident. Horses also have the ability to mirror the emotions of humans, thus providing a starting point for discussion with the patient. In addition, horses need a lot of care. By grooming, feeding, and learning to communicate with these animals, patients tend to put their own problems in the background.

    Depression Patients and Horses

    • People who are depressed are often isolated and with drawn from society. They often have very negative opinions of themselves and the world. Working with horses, whether on the ground or mounted, gives them a new focus. Many equine therapy programs have patients work together on some aspect of training or equine sport to give them a basis for social interaction.

    Types of Programs

    • Many equine therapy programs like those offered at Sierra Tucson in Arizona provide residential treatment programs. Others like those at Bridges to Recovery in California offer outpatient services as well.