Equine Facilitated Interactions

Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) involves being around horses in their natural environment whilst engaging in psychotherapeutic interventions, with a trained Psychotherapist. Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) involves being around horses and engaging in activities that promote emotional wellbeing but does not involve psychotherapeutic processes.

Horses have been recognised for their therapeutic benefits for many years and the interactions that we can have between equines can be used to facilitate therapeutic interventions. Horses are sensitive animals who live wholly in the present moment and interactions with them can encourage us to look inward to explore our own human behaviour and better understand our thinking patterns and emotions. The non-judgemental nature of horses can create a safe space for individuals to explore and address emotional challenges.

Some key components of equine therapy / interactions might include:

Observing and reflecting: participants are often encouraged to observe the behaviour of the herd and reflect on their own emotions and reactions. Working with horses can help individuals to express and process emotions. These experiences can offer a powerful experience that talking in the clinic room may not do.
Grounding techniques: practising mindfulness based exercises are of great benefit, especially when outdoors, in addition to this, horses can teach us a lot about being mindful, as we can observe how horses live in the present moment, rather unlike humans can have tendency to live in the future, or ruminate on the past. Interacting with horses can encourage individuals to be more mindful and present. This can be particularly beneficial to those dealing with trauma or stress.
Interacting with the horse: this might include participating in activities with the horse, such as grooming, or feeding and in some cases leading the horse if appropriate. These interactions can have a range of benefits, such as learning communication skills and assertiveness, to building trust and setting boundaries.

I have trained with Athena Herd Foundation, Level 2 and Level 4 Equine Facilitated Interactions, and am an accredited ACCPH Member (registration number 00002900). This can be offered from Avoca, Co Wicklow, Ireland