Since ancient times, people have kept animals as pets. People can provide sustenance, care, and shelter for animals, and animals can aid people in every phase of life. For example, they can help with cognitive development for children, stress relief for adults, practical help for disabled individuals, and companionship for seniors.

It is no surprise that some therapies today also involve animals. Equine therapy is an experiential therapy that may improve physical and emotional well-being through the unique bond it creates between people and horses. To better appreciate the therapy, it helps to understand the human-animal bond, the horse-and-human bond, and the benefits this treatment produces.

How the Human-Animal Bond Works

The human-animal bond is a relationship between people and animals. Many people naturally bond with animals when they care for them or spend a lot of time around them. Based on mutually beneficial behaviors, bonds with animals may include physical, psychological, and emotional interactions. However, the interactions can also depend on the type of animal. For example, physical bonding occurs when a person pets or hugs a dog, cat, horse, or other docile mammals. The bond may be less physical if someone has a fish, mouse, or turtle.

The bond is more valuable. It is simply a different type of bond. Watching fish swim can reduce anxiety. The social connection with a dog or horse may reduce stress and produce oxytocin, the hormone that helps a mother bond with a new baby. Caring for any animal can build self-esteem and self-awareness. People showing affection and caring for their pets also benefit the animals. In addition to meeting their basic physical needs, many animals experience psychological benefits.

Understanding Equine Therapy and the Unique Bond With Horses

Horses and humans have been helping each other for centuries. Today, they can even help one another through therapy. Equine therapy involves various activities with horses. The bond between horses and humans can be especially powerful and useful for therapy, and horses have a unique ability to sense what humans are feeling.

One master horsewoman with over three decades of experience said that different people attract different horses based on their feelings. For example, one person who is feeling depressed may attract different horses than someone who is feeling anxious. Since horses sense needs, they may know which people they can help. Also, people tend to naturally adjust their emotions and approach until the horse and the person feel comfortable.

Many clinicians favor this specific type of animal-based experiential therapy because of the characteristics of horses. As one clinician with more than two decades of experience said, she saw her clients leave therapy feeling restored and quickly showing improved regulation. They left happier and ready to embrace life.

Benefits of Bonding With Horses in equine therapy

The horse and human bond is the key benefit of equine therapy, and several benefits come from the bond itself. These are some advantages of bonding with horses:

• Being around a horse provides peace since horses are not judgmental of a person’s experiences.
• Since horses tend to mirror the emotions of humans near them, they help people identify and regulate their emotions.
• When speaking of past traumatic experiences, people often feel more comfortable using horses as reference points and feel more at ease with horses present.
• Brushing, feeding, watering, and exercising horses can help people learn to create routines and structure.
• Nurturing and caring for horses can help people build empathy.
• Equine therapy can help build distress tolerance, adaptability, and impulse control.

Bonding With Horses through equine Therapy in a Healing Environment

Equine therapy may be helpful to people with PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance addiction, and more. Sabino Recovery in Tucson helps people learn the value of the horse-and-human bonds with equine therapy. The healing environment offers a residential treatment structure with a customized approach to meet each person’s unique needs.

Please contact Sabino Recovery to learn more about equine therapy in Arizona.