Equine-assisted therapy uses guided interactions with horses to support emotional, mental, and behavioral healing in a structured environment.It is not about horseback riding or learning equestrian skills. Instead, the focus is on non-riding activities like grooming, leading, feeding, and observing the horse.
This form of therapy is structured and supervised by licensed mental health professionals and certified equine specialists. Whether you’re a beginner or have years of horse experience, sessions are tailored to your comfort level and needs. Calm, steady horses help veterans feel more at ease and make it easier to build trust during therapeutic work.
Studies have shown equine assisted therapy can help reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. It helps people build self-awareness, manage emotions, and practice communication skills in a non-threatening setting.
At California Healing Centers, we provide equine assisted therapy for veterans as part of our holistic care approach. Our program combines expert clinical support with the natural healing environment of our stables to help veterans recover in body and mind.
How Horses Help Heal: The Science Behind It
Horses are prey animals with strong instincts. They are highly attuned to human emotions and can pick up on subtle cues, such as tension in your body or shifts in your breathing. This sensitivity allows horses to mirror how someone feels—without judgment or pressure. That feedback helps people recognize emotions they may not have been fully aware of.
Research shows that interacting with horses lowers cortisol (a stress hormone) and increases oxytocin, a hormone linked to bonding and emotional safety. These changes can improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety or trauma.
Equine therapy also supports brain areas involved in emotional regulation and memory. For veterans with trauma, this can lead to improved processing of painful experiences in a calmer, more manageable way.
Being near a horse—feeling its strength and steady presence—can help people feel more grounded and centered. For many people, this helps build confidence and reduce hypervigilance, which is common in PTSD.
Why Equine Therapy Is Effective for Veterans?
Veterans often return from service with invisible wounds that are hard to express in words. Traditional therapy can feel overwhelming or disconnected. Equine-assisted therapy for veterans offers a safe, nonverbal way to process trauma and rebuild trust.
Because horses are unbiased and present-focused, they help veterans stay in the moment. This is a key part of managing PTSD symptoms like flashbacks or emotional numbness. Veterans learn to regulate their responses through guided activities with horses, supported by trained therapists.
Research from the Department of Veterans Affairs and other studies shows equine therapy improves emotional regulation, lowers anxiety, and reduces isolation. It also encourages responsibility, purpose, and connection—things that many veterans feel they’ve lost after military service.
Addressing PTSD and Trauma Through Equine Interaction
Trauma and PTSD can leave people feeling out of touch with themselves or unsafe in their own bodies. Horses help people reconnect to the present moment. Horses notice body language and react gently, helping people become more aware of their emotions and responses.
Working with horses can reduce fear, increase confidence, and improve emotional control. For many, just being near a horse brings a sense of peace and calm. Horses are nonjudgmental and do not expect explanations. This makes them ideal partners in trauma recovery.
Many veterans with PTSD say horses help them feel calm, accepted, and emotionally supported in a way that feels real. Therapeutic interaction with horses activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body relax. This biological response can reduce flashbacks, panic attacks, and emotional detachment linked to trauma.
Trust can be hard to rebuild after trauma, especially for veterans. Horses offer a powerful way to practice trust without words. They respond to gentle leadership, patience, and emotional honesty.
Through repeated interactions, veterans learn how to manage frustration and stay calm under pressure. These are key skills for emotional resilience. Horses notice when you’re anxious or angry, and they respond in real time. That feedback helps people adjust and try again—safely and without shame.
In equine assisted therapy for veterans, this process is guided by trained professionals. Each session supports emotional growth, confidence, and long-term healing. Building trust with a horse also strengthens the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which helps regulate decision-making and emotional balance. This supports healthier reactions to daily stress.
Just spending time around horses has been shown to lift mood, ease stress, and support mental well-being. Studies show it helps lower stress and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Horses help people slow down, breathe deeply, and focus on the moment.
This mindful interaction reduces racing thoughts and emotional tension. For someone living with anxiety, equine therapy can offer relief that feels natural and deeply reassuring. Over time, the calm that comes from working with horses starts to show up in daily life too.
Equine therapy often leads to fewer anxiety-related behaviors like avoidance, irritability, or insomnia. Consistent sessions help retrain the nervous system to respond more calmly to stress over time.
Horses communicate mostly through body language. Learning to understand them helps people become better at reading nonverbal cues in others. This is especially helpful for veterans who may struggle with social interactions after trauma.
Working with horses teaches patience, respect, and assertiveness. These skills naturally transfer into human relationships. People often become more confident and less reactive when talking to others.
Research shows that equine activities improve active listening, emotional expression, and boundary setting—skills that often decline due to trauma or long-term isolation. Horses help people relearn connection in a safe, gradual way.
Physical and Mental Benefits of Working with Horses
Working with horses supports healing in both the body and the mind. It encourages movement, builds routine, and creates a sense of purpose. Many people feel more grounded and motivated after just a few sessions. The connection with a horse also boosts emotional well-being.
Here is how veterans will benefit:
Horses respond to emotional energy. Learning to stay calm helps control anger, anxiety, and emotional outbursts.
Grooming, walking, and stable care help improve strength, coordination, and mobility.
Horses live in the moment. Being around them helps people focus on the present and reduce overthinking.
Caring for a large, sensitive animal builds confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
The bond with a horse often leads to improved trust and connection with people too.
Over time, these physical and mental improvements build on each other. People begin to feel more capable, stable, and hopeful about their ability to manage life and relationships.
Equine Therapy as a Complement to Traditional Treatments
Equine therapy is not meant to replace traditional mental health treatments—it works best when used alongside them. Talk therapy and medication help address the brain’s chemical and emotional patterns. Equine-assisted therapy for veterans supports the body’s natural healing through movement, connection, and trust-building.
When combined, these treatments address both the internal and external effects of trauma. For example, talk therapy helps veterans understand their experiences, while equine therapy helps them feel calm, safe, and in control again. This dual approach often leads to more lasting and meaningful progress in recovery.
Veterans often struggle with feeling emotionally numb or guarded. Horses help people open up emotionally at their own pace, without fear of being judged or pushed too far. At the same time, therapists help veterans process what comes up during equine sessions. This balance is what makes equine-assisted therapy for veterans such a powerful and effective tool.
How to Get Started with Equine Assisted Therapy at the California Healing Centers
Starting equine therapy at California Healing Centers is simple and welcoming. Prior experience with horses isn’t necessary—anyone can benefit from equine-assisted therapy, regardless of skill level. First, we take time to understand your personal story, including your health history, goals, and current needs. From there, we create a custom care plan that includes equine therapy sessions designed specifically for you.
Each session is led by licensed mental health professionals and experienced equine specialists. We follow trauma-informed practices, which means your safety and comfort always come first. Sessions happen in calm, natural surroundings that support focus, relaxation, and healing. You’ll never be rushed or pushed past your limits.
We believe healing should feel personal and warm—not cold or clinical. That’s why our approach blends clinical therapy with nature-based experiences—like working with horses—to support the whole person. Research shows that combining traditional treatments with equine-assisted care can reduce PTSD symptoms, improve mood, and lower stress more effectively than talk therapy alone.
California Healing Centers is one of the few programs in the region that offers equine assisted therapy for veterans as a core part of care. Our team understands the complex emotional and physical challenges many veterans face, including trauma, anxiety, depression, and substance use. We’re not just offering horse sessions—we’re offering a path to rebuild trust, resilience, and purpose.
If you’re a veteran looking for a new way to heal, reach out to us today. Let’s take the first step together—one session, one connection, one moment at a time.
