Equine Therapy for Addiction

Recovering from addiction can be a long and difficult process. For years, addiction recovery involved basic 12-step meetings and addiction counseling, but today there are many new methods of addiction treatment. One of these methods, known as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, is a form of addiction therapy that focuses on creating meaningful relationships between recovering addicts and horses.

History

Equine therapy originated as a therapy for physically disabled individuals. It was designed to improve balance, muscle strength and flexibility. Equine therapy expanded to help those with mental or emotional disabilities increase their patience and self-esteem. The Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association was formed to promote equine therapy and educate clinical professionals on its practices. Equine Assisted Psychotherapy has recently become part of many addiction recovery programs.

Who Can Benefit From Equine Therapy?

Equine therapy can benefit a wide range of individuals who suffer from addictions. Those addicted to heroin, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, prescription drugs and alcohol can all be helped. The most important qualification is a willingness to change and learn from the experience.

How Equine Therapy Works

Recovering addicts generally work with a licensed psychologist and an equine therapist. Individuals participate in a variety of activities with horses that are designed to teach them about themselves, focusing on learning to identify and handle their emotions in positive ways. In one method designed to teach participants about the power of body language and tenacity, the participant is given a halter and told to enter a corral and catch a horse. Depending on the participant's body language, method and approach, the horse may respond positively or negatively. Other activities are designed to teach the participant to notice how to approach horses with respect in order to gain trust--a skill that recovering addicts can apply to their own lives.

Benefits of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy

Equine therapy helps recovering addicts become more aware of how their emotions affect others. It can also help participants reconnect with a wide range of emotions such as joy, fear and sadness that they may have ignored or avoided during their struggle with addictions. Significant improvement can be seen in participants' abilities to access their emotions, trust others, rise to challenges and ask for help in overcoming difficulties during recovery. Horses are ideal animals for therapy because they exhibit the full range of human emotions. As they respond to the way individuals treat them, individuals learn about how changing their actions can affect the quality of their lives. Equine therapy not only replaces drug use with a positive and meaningful activity, but it can also help addicts to take their minds off of the difficulties of recovery.

Expert Insight

Lynn Moore, an addiction counselor certified in equine-assisted therapy says equine therapy is "not about riding horses; rather, it's about interacting with horses on the ground so patients can learn more about themselves. Horses mirror human feelings. They give us immediate feedback through non-verbal cues, so people can take those cues and better understand themselves. It's not about horsemanship, it's about overcoming fears and frustrations--just by working with a horse."