Therapy & Learning

Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) and Equine-Assisted Learning (ELT)

We offer equine-assisted therapy and equine-assisted learning to support children and young people’s emotional wellbeing, confidence, and engagement.

Sessions are ground-based, trauma-informed, and facilitated by a qualified counsellor, integrating professional therapeutic practice with structured interaction with horses. Our work is purposeful, relational, and safeguarding-led, providing a calm and supportive environment for children who may struggle in traditional or talking-based settings.

Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT)

Therapeutic Support Through Relationship and Regulation

Equine-assisted therapy focuses on emotional and relational wellbeing. Through carefully facilitated interaction with horses, children are supported to explore emotions, build self-awareness, and develop regulation skills in a safe and contained way.

Horses are highly sensitive to non-verbal communication, emotional states, and behaviour. This allows children to receive immediate, non-judgemental feedback, supporting insight, confidence, and emotional safety.

Equine-assisted therapy may support:

• Emotional regulation and calming strategies

• Confidence and self-esteem

• Trust and relationship-building

• Communication and boundaries

• Processing emotional experiences safely

EAT is particularly suitable for children who:

• Have experienced trauma or adverse life events

• Experience anxiety or emotional dysregulation

• Find verbal or traditional counselling approaches difficult

• Benefit from experiential, relational therapeutic support

All equine-assisted therapy is delivered within professional ethical frameworks and supported by clinical supervision.

Equine-assisted therapy complements other services and does not replace medical or psychiatric treatment.

Equine-Assisted Learning (ELT)

Learning, Engagement and Personal Development

Equine-assisted learning focuses on personal development and engagement with learning through structured, experiential activities with horses.

ELT supports children to develop practical and transferable skills through doing, reflecting, and problem-solving in a calm outdoor environment. Sessions are purposeful and structured, not recreational.

Equine-assisted learning may support:

• Confidence and motivation

• Social communication and teamwork

• Problem-solving and decision-making

• Responsibility and leadership

• Engagement with learning beyond the classroom

ELT is particularly suitable for:

• School-referred children

• Children disengaged from traditional education

• Children who learn best through practical, hands-on experiences

While learning-focused rather than therapeutic, ELT is delivered within the same trauma-informed, safeguarding-led framework.

Choosing the Right Approach

Every child is unique. Some children benefit most from a therapeutic focus, while others engage more readily through learning-based experiences.

Following an initial discussion, sessions may:

• Focus primarily on equine-assisted therapy (EAT),

• Focus primarily on equine-assisted learning (ELT), or

• Integrate elements of both, depending on the child’s needs, goals, and emotional capacity.

Approaches are reviewed over time and adapted in collaboration with parents, schools, and professionals where appropriate.

Ground-Based, Choice-Led and Trauma-Informed

All equine-assisted therapy and learning sessions are:

• Ground-based – children are never required to ride

• Choice-led – participation is always voluntary

• Carefully paced – emotional safety is prioritised over outcomes

This approach is particularly important for children who have experienced trauma, anxiety, or a loss of control.