28/07/2025
Equine Assisted Services
When talking therapy isn’t enough, What Equine Facilitated Human Development (EFHD) offers is a powerful alternative. Learn how equine sessions with Chris Paling, Addiction Counsellor at Wintern House can help with trauma, regulation, and emotional clarity.
When Talking Isn’t Enough: What Equine Facilitated Human Development (EFHD) Can Offer
Not everyone connects through talking.
For some, words are too small. For others, they’ve said it all and nothing changes.
That’s where EFHD comes in.
It’s not riding. It’s not “horse whispering”. It’s a grounded, research-backed method that uses interactions with horses to access a deeper level of emotional insight, regulation, and presence.
Why horses?
Horses are highly attuned to the emotions and nervous systems of the people around them.
They respond to what’s real, not what you say. That makes them powerful co-facilitators in therapy. If you’re anxious, shut down, tense, disconnected horses feel it.
And that feedback gives us a way in.
What happens in a session?
You’ll collaborate one-on-one with me and a heard of horses no riding, no specific skills.
You might observe, lead, or interact with a horse or horses based on how the session unfolds.
Everything happens at your pace, with full support.
We use the IFEEL Method which is a structured and ethically sound approach developed specifically for this work.
Who is this for?
EFHD is particularly helpful if you:
Struggle to talk about emotion
Have trauma stored in the body
Feel numb, overwhelmed or emotionally distant
Have tried talk therapy and felt it didn’t go deep enough
You don’t need to be into horses! Just be open and willing to try something different.
Phone: 07545 922943 Email: chrisbx515@proton.me Web:
My areas of work experience: • Substance use disorders. • Equine facilitated human development. • Harm reduction. • Friends and family support • Ex -Services and blue light • Offending behaviour • Group work facilitation and training. • SMART Recovery UK facilitator • Gambling
