At a ground-based equine-assisted therapy session, you might spend the first few minutes standing outside an arena with a therapist and an equine specialist. They’ll explain where you can stand and what to do if a horse comes close.
Then they may invite you to observe the horses or try a simple activity. What you notice during that experience gives you something concrete to talk about with the therapist.
If your first question is “Do I have to ride?” ask which model the program uses. Ground-based approaches such as the Eagala model take place on foot, and participants don’t need previous experience with horses.
The schedule and activities vary by program, but here’s how an example session could unfold and what to ask if you’re considering it as part of addiction treatment.
Who Is in the Arena With You?
Equine-assisted services are a broad term. It can refer to therapy, learning activities, or horsemanship. A tour of a stable or a riding lesson may be worth doing for its own sake. If you’re looking for psychotherapy as part of your care, ask who provides it, how they’re licensed, and how the session connects to your treatment plan.
In the Eagala model, a licensed mental health professional and an equine specialist work together. The clinician helps you explore what comes up during the session. The equine specialist pays attention to the horses, explains how to share the space, and manages safety around the animals.
You can ask who will be there before the session starts, especially if you’re expecting to meet one person and it turns out to be a group.
The staff may ask what you’re comfortable with and explain what’s involved before you go in. This is a good moment to mention a fear of horses, allergies, mobility needs, or anything that makes standing or walking outdoors difficult.
Ask what participation could look like from outside the arena and whether another activity is available if the setup won’t work for you.
From the First Observation to the Conversation Afterward
Imagine you’re invited to spend a few minutes watching how two horses move through the space. You choose to stay near the fence.
One horse crosses the arena while the other stays where it is. The therapist might ask what you paid attention to or what you felt when the distance between you and the horse changed.
The horse may have moved for any number of reasons. What gives the therapist something to work with is your experience of the moment.
Maybe you wanted more room and waited for someone to notice.
Maybe you were fine standing still but felt pressure to do something because the group was watching.
Or you might simply have been thinking about how to keep your shoes out of the mud.
How a Shared Task Can Lead to a Conversation
A group session might include a shared task, with staff explaining the boundaries before anyone moves. Say you and another participant are asked to decide together where to stand. You have an idea and keep it to yourself because you assume the other person wants to lead. Later, the therapist can ask what it was like to hold back and whether you recognize that feeling somewhere else.
That might bring to mind a situation in recovery. You wanted to ask someone at a meeting if you could call after work, for instance, but left before you had a chance. You could use part of the session to find the words for that request and decide whom you want to ask. Someone else doing the same activity might talk about an entirely different experience.
A quieter session can be useful to discuss as well. You might tell the therapist you spent the whole time wondering what you were supposed to get from the exercise.
That gives you both a chance to talk about whether the format feels useful, what you’d want to try differently, or what you’d prefer to work on in your next regular session.
At the end, the clinician might ask whether you’d like to revisit something the next time you meet. That could be as ordinary as talking about the point when you wanted to walk away from a task. If an activity left you unsettled, say what part was difficult and ask what support is available afterward.
You can choose to talk in a quieter setting later.
If you’re joining a group, find out what you’ll be invited to share in front of other participants. Some people are comfortable talking about an experience while they’re still in the arena. Others want a little time to think or prefer to discuss it individually. The facilitator can explain how the group handles those choices before you start.
How Equine-Assisted Therapy Fits Into Addiction Treatment
A 2022 scoping review of equine-assisted services for people with substance use disorders found a small body of research and substantial differences in how the services were delivered and studied. The authors called for stronger research.
A provider should be able to explain why a specific activity is being offered and how it fits the clinical work you’re already doing.
If you’re in a program for alcohol or drug use, ask what the rest of your care includes. Depending on your needs, that may mean individual or group counseling, medication, medical care, or a plan for support after discharge. Ask how the person leading the equine session communicates with the rest of the team and whether you’ll have a chance to talk about it at your next appointment.
What to Check When You Compare Programs
For a Georgia example, Ingrained Recovery offers equine-assisted therapy as part of residential treatment, and describes how their approaches incorporate work with horses into adult substance use treatment in Eastman.
If you’re comparing programs, use that description to ask what’s scheduled during a typical stay and who would lead the session you’d actually attend.
Cost and access can also affect your decision. Ask if sessions are included in the program, how often they’re offered, and what happens when weather changes the schedule.
If an activity is listed on a website, it’s reasonable to check whether it’s available for your level of care and whether attendance is optional.
What to Ask Before You Go
Start with the details that would make you comfortable walking into the setting. The answers should give you a clear picture of what the session involves.
- Who leads the session, and how do the therapist and equine specialist divide their roles?
- Is the session on the ground? Can I watch from a distance or sit out part of the activity?
- What happens if I’m uncomfortable or the horse needs space?
- What should I wear, and how accessible are the path, arena, and seating?
- How will we follow up on something I want to discuss later?
Ask how the program cares for the horses, too. A team should be able to describe how it monitors the animals, when it stops an interaction, and how it decides which horses can take part. If you’re unfamiliar with horses, it helps to know that someone is responsible for noticing when a horse needs a break.
After the session, consider one moment you’d like to bring back to your therapist. You may have found it easier to ask for space than you expected, or you may have realized you want a different setting for that conversation. Either gives you something specific to talk about next time.
References
Diaz, L., Gormley, M. A., Coleman, A., Sepanski, A., Corley, H., Perez, A., & Litwin, A. H. (2022). Equine-assisted services for individuals with substance use disorders: A scoping review. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 17, Article 81. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-022-00506-x
Eagala. (n.d.). What is the Eagala model? https://www.eagala.org/about-us/what-is-the-eagala-model/
Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International. (n.d.). Optimal terminology for services that incorporate horses to benefit people. https://pathintl.org/optimal-terminology/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). Learn about mental health, drug, and alcohol treatment. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-support/learn-about-treatment