What is equine therapy?

Equine therapy is a therapeutic approach that involves interactions between individuals and horses to support mental, emotional, and behavioral healing. It's often used as part of a broader treatment plan for those struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.  

Equine therapy is offered at Monte Nido Rosewood Ranch and is integrated into treatment to support clients in their healing.

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Why equine therapy is beneficial for people with eating disorders

For individuals recovering from eating disorders, traditional talk therapy may not always feel accessible, especially when emotional expression is difficult or language feels limiting. Equine therapy offers a powerful, nonverbal pathway to healing, helping clients reconnect with themselves, others, and the present moment.

Equine therapy helps to build trust and self-expression through connection

Many clients enter eating disorder treatment disconnected from their emotions or unsure how to express what they’re feeling. Working with horses helps bridge that gap. Simple, hands-on tasks like grooming, brushing, or leading a horse can open the door to deeper emotional work. Horses offer a quiet, accepting presence that makes it easier for individuals to share and feel what has long been buried.

Equine therapy can develop confidence through skill-building

Equine therapy allows clients to learn practical skills while participating in therapeutic work. Interacting with a large animal requires attentiveness, patience, and communication - qualities that clients begin to build through each session. When a client gains the confidence to calmly and safely guide a horse, they begin to realize they’re capable of more than they once believed.

• Skill development: Tasks such as grooming or guiding a horse foster responsibility, focus, and self-efficacy.

• Confidence-building: Successfully working with such a powerful animal can be a transformative experience, reinforcing inner strength.

• Rediscovery of personal strengths: Many clients find that they already possess the empathy, intuition, and communication skills needed to connect with horses - abilities they may have forgotten in the midst of their eating disorder.

Equine therapy can help with exposure, empowerment, and emotional safety

Equine therapy also offers a safe form of exposure therapy. For some clients, the size and unpredictability of a horse can mirror their own fears of losing control, of the unknown, or of confronting something bigger than themselves. With clinician support, each interaction becomes a chance to face those fears with curiosity and courage.

• Emotional regulation: Horses respond to human energy and emotion, giving clients immediate, nonjudgmental feedback that helps them practice staying calm and centered.

• Boundary-setting: Clients learn to assert themselves and communicate their needs - skills that often erode during the course of an eating disorder.

• Relational healing: The bond with a horse can model healthy relationships, built on trust, mutual respect, and nonverbal understanding.

Body awareness and nonverbal healing through equine therapy

For those struggling with eating disorders, reconnecting with the body in a compassionate way can be one of the most difficult aspects of recovery. Equine therapy creates space to rebuild that relationship without mirrors, scales, or numbers. Simply being present with a horse encourages clients to engage with their bodies as instruments of connection and care, not judgment or control.

• Body awareness: Guiding and grooming horses helps clients move mindfully and tune into their physical presence.

• Grounding and regulation: The rhythmic nature of horse interactions can be calming and centering.

• Emotional expression: For clients who struggle to articulate feelings, equine therapy offers a way to express and process those emotions somatically.

How are horses used in a therapeutic setting?

In equine therapy, horses are not just animals to interact with - they are emotional mirrors, offering clients a powerful opportunity to reflect on their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The journey begins with an individual assessment to gauge each client’s comfort level with horses. From there, the therapist introduces foundational tasks such as grooming, haltering, and eventually leading the horse. These activities are not only about skill-building. They require presence, patience, and communication, allowing the client and the horse to form a mutual connection over time.

As trust grows by interacting with the horse in a therapeutic setting, clients are introduced to obstacle-based exercises. These are designed to simulate moments of stress or challenge, where the horse may hesitate, resist, or become unsure. The client learns how to stay calm, provide reassurance, and guide the horse forward. These moments often lead to meaningful insight: if they can show up with confidence and compassion for a powerful animal in a difficult moment, perhaps they can do the same for themselves.

Beyond skill-building, equine therapy offers something deeper: a chance to slow down and reconnect with nature, with the present moment, and with a nonjudgmental animal. In this space, healing becomes less about words and more about presence. For individuals recovering from eating disorders, this connection can be profoundly grounding, offering a sense of calm, safety, and emotional clarity that supports their broader recovery journey.

Why are horses suited for therapy?

Horses are uniquely suited for therapeutic work, especially for individuals navigating emotional regulation challenges. As prey animals, horses are naturally attuned to their surroundings and highly sensitive to subtle shifts in energy and body language. Their eyes function independently, like two separate cameras, giving them a wide but segmented field of vision, and their ears are in constant motion, compensating for what they can’t see behind them. This heightened awareness extends to the people around them.  

Horses can pick up on physiological changes in humans, such as increased heart rate or muscle tension, even when a person appears calm on the outside. For example, if a client returns from a meal feeling anxious or overwhelmed, the horse may instinctively respond by stepping away, sensing the client’s inner state. This response creates an opportunity for therapeutic growth.  

Clients can use mindfulness techniques, like deep breathing or grounding exercises, to self-regulate in real time. When their nervous system calms, the horse often returns, reinforcing the connection between internal emotional states and relational dynamics. In this way, horses offer immediate, nonjudgmental feedback that fosters self-awareness, emotional regulation, and trust - all essential elements of eating disorder recovery.

Are you or a loved one struggling with an eating disorder?

Monte Nido Rosewood Ranch offers inpatient and residential treatment for adults and adolescents ages 12+.  This Monte Nido location provides comprehensive care for all stages of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, AFRID, co-occurring addictions, mood psychiatric disorders treatment, and more.

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