Horses give you a sense of purpose and wellness. Other animals do that too but horses, just by being horses, give us a completely different experience from a dog sitting on your lap.
EAT is a treatment that uses horses with the assistance of a qualified equine therapist and equine trainers to help a patient build confidence, self-efficiency, communication, trust, social skills and learn boundaries to overcome SUD (Substance Use Disorder) and mental health issues. Horses have similar behaviors to humans making it easy for patients to relate to horses. Other animals are often used in therapy, however, horses have become the most popular due to the immediate feedback they provide. EAT is used to treat anxiety and stress, depression, PTSD, SUD, trauma and mental health issues. The goal of EAT is for a patient to achieve a sober, healthy lifestyle.
Benefits Of EAT
EAT has many benefits to both the horse and the patient. EAT helps patients develop good habits and routines along with caring for horses that results in an overall feeling of being responsible for someone other than themselves. Benefits include a reduction in feelings of anger, anxiety, depression, hostility, stress and tension. EAT provides improved personal grooming and social interactions, a greater sense of responsibility and increased feelings of confidence, empathy, higher self-esteem, impulse control, patience and trust. EAT helps lower blood pressure and heart rate and promotes emotional and occupational growth in a short amount of time. Interacting with horses gives the patient a sense of calm and encourages the patient to be open, gentle and aware when working with horses.
How EAT Works
People often turn to animals for comfort due to their accepting and non-judgmental nature. Horses have an incredible gift of perceiving and acting upon people’s feelings and behaviors. This feedback can then be observed by the therapist immediately. This allows recovery to be achieved faster with a reduced chance of relapse.
Horses can help us achieve a healthier lifestyle. However, they have to be part of the treatment process, which includes detox and counseling. EAT allows the therapist to identify triggers and unhealthy coping behaviors. This gives the therapist opportunities to create better coping strategies and alternatives to alcohol and drug use which includes teaching the patient trust and social skills while building confidence and understanding boundaries. By learning how to communicate with a horse, individuals can use EAT to raise self-awareness regarding negative thoughts about themselves that may be contributing to substance abuse or mental health problems. The patient also develops impulse control and team-building activities that can be used in the real world.
Where To Find Equine Therapy And Rehab Centers
There are trained professionals who specialize in SUD and mental health issues. Nationwide treatment centers offer safe, caring environments for detoxification, in and out-patient treatment and hospitalization. There are several rehab centers and therapists throughout the country that offer EAT. Just Google Equine Assisted Therapy drug rehab centers to find locations. EAT may not be covered by insurance. Be sure to check with your provider before working with an EAT therapist.
Jen Wright, Owner, Happy Horse Tack Shop – Interview – September 7, 2023
Jen Wright is the owner of Happy Horse Tack Shop, Ft. Collins, Colorado. I am sharing her story and experiences with horses, hoping it will be beneficial to anyone considering EAT to assist them with SUD or mental health issues.
Jen is not an Equine therapist, however, she has over 25 years of experience with horses. She knew at the age of 2, whenever her parents would drive by a pasture, that she loved horses. They always had to stop so she could “visit” them.
When Jen was 8 years old, she had a bad accident with a lawnmower and both of her feet were seriously injured and she was confined to a wheelchair and endured multiple surgeries throughout the entire summer. She was going into third grade, was very hyper and would belly surf on her skateboard to get out and “have fun”. Her grandpa got her a “driving” pony and because she could not hook it up herself, she would drive the pony to a tree and then crawl up the tree and get on the pony.
She says that unbeknownst to her, this was her form of EAT. She spent her days in the barn and felt very comfortable with ponies. She said they knew her feelings and picked up on her vibes, and she was relaxed with them. Skipping forward to her adult life, Jen became a saddle fitter and works with a lot of therapeutic programs in her travels. She makes sure the saddle and horse equipment are appropriate and comfortable for both horse and rider. Last week, she worked with 15 horses at a therapeutic riding center, which has numerous programs for EAT consisting of direct applications, veterans, at-risk teens and physical therapy programs in Colorado.
Jen is around EAT daily due to her business. One of her dear friends got into EAT because of his addiction. He became addicted to pain meds after back surgery and had a really bad run and was able to get sober because EAT changed his whole life. Today, he is working with horses and has broken his old, bad social patterns and spends time at the barn and is a lifelong volunteer. He recently became a certified riding assistant who helps people in EAT who ride as part of their therapy.
Jen says just watching horses socialize and reflect us is so profound. It helps us learn what you are putting out there and if it is acceptable or unacceptable. In Colorado, there are programs that assist people getting out of prison. They are brought into horse settings where they learn how to interact. The connection between horses and humans is something you cannot take away. It is significant and powerful. Jen does not need any words, she just stands with a horse and the body language of the horse tells her everything. In her work, Jen makes the horse feel as comfortable as possible with saddles and equipment. She has seen autistic kids who are non-verbal, express themselves through the horse. Horses give you a sense of purpose and wellness. Other animals do that too but horses, just by being horses, give us a completely different experience from a dog sitting on your lap. To gain a horse’s trust and relax in their presence assists you with confidence and trust. For Jen, this is the deepest she can get with ANY being, including humans. She says you are in the moment, not thinking about yourself or something someone said to hurt your feelings; you have a higher bar with connection and depth and its horses. Today in our society, people are spastic – answer the phone, do this, do that, hurry, hurry, hurry! Horses will help you feel calm and just chill out. They have a beautiful energy and as she sums up her experiences with horses – “We are privileged to be around them. I am honored. WOW! The fact that they will be in my presence, they don’t have to be. They are generous!”
Risks Of EAT
People interested in EAT should be aware of some dangers posed by the activity, not least of which is the size and weight of most horses. Although horses who are trained as therapy animals are less likely to pose any risk to riders out of fear or aggravation, their stature alone may be a concern for some people or parents. Some people experience allergic reactions to horses or their environments (barn dust or hay, for example) and should exercise caution when considering EAT.🐾💛🙏 © 2025 Ashleigh Rose Bottorff, All Rights Reserved.