06/19/2025
Equine Assisted Learning versus equine assisted psychotherapy: How much difference does a licensed therapist make?
I want to preface this by saying that Healthy Strides used to offer equine assisted learning when a licensed therapist wasn’t available. This post is not intended to bash or shame anyone practicing equine assisted activities, it is to discuss the difference in equine assisted psychotherapy and equine assisted services rendered by someone without a license to provide therapy.
There is an ever increasing number of long time horse people who have seen horses have a positive impact on their customer’s mental health. “Horses are my therapy,” is a common phrase heard in many barns across the United States. It makes sense that trainers, instructors, or horse enthusiasts would want to share their horses and experience with others who could benefit from it. The challenge comes in when people begin using phrases in their advertising that imply that they are qualified to provide mental or physical therapy services. Most not embroiled in the world of counseling (or other therapies) are not aware of the difference between equine assisted psychotherapy and equine assisted activities.
Equine assisted psychotherapy involves a licensed professional utilizing horses as therapy partners to help facilitate healing and growth for people with mental health struggles. Equine assisted activities do not require a licensed professional. Why does it matter if the facilitator is licensed? First off, licensed professionals have had to go through, at minimum, a graduate program to receive their state license in counseling or social work. Licensed clinicians are governed by the state and have an ethics committee the answer to. This translates to added protection for clients, many of whom enter therapy or seek services because they are in a vulnerable place. These clinicians receive training in how to accurately diagnose people, how to treat mental health challenges, and how to recognize if someone is in crisis and needs more services. They also learn how to approach challenges in a trauma informed way that avoids or reduces the risk of retraumatization. They are also mandated reporters and required by law to report suspected abuse and receive advanced training in recognizing things like abuse, suicidal ideations, dissociation, and trauma responses.
Facilitators of equine activities that are not licensed are not required to have any particular training in trauma informed best practices or harm prevention/reduction. Many facilitators have great instincts and have undoubtedly helped people, but with no governing board to answer to and no standards to answer to, client safety can sometimes be called into question. Many ethics breaches occur by accident or stem from good intentions. These breaches can leave people hurt or in danger.
I started my career in equine assisted psychotherapy as the nonlicensed member of a two person team that was comprised of a licensed counselor and equine specialist. I eventually, after years of providing equine assisted learning and supporting equine assisted psychotherapy sessions, went back to grad school and got my clinical license to be a counselor. My graduate program was intensive and transformative. I came to the realization early in the program that practicing equine assisted work as I was left much to be desired and I needed to consume as much information and training as I could as quickly as I could. My work became more effective and impactful the more I learned from my graduate program and additional trainings. I also realized that equine assisted learning and activities can quickly venture into the land of practicing therapy without a license and that is dangerous ground for the client and the practitioner.
When looking at a potential equine assisted therapy/activity program a few basic questions can give you great information about a program’s suitability for your needs and their ethical and legal standing. What do you do at your program? How are horses utilized in your program? Do you have any licensed clinicians on staff and what is their licensure? Therapist is not a protected title in Illinois so just because someone calls themselves a therapist that does not mean they have a license. Asking nonlicensed individuals to clearly explain their scope of practice can be useful (do they understand what they are and are not equipped to handle). Anyone saying they treat a disorder or mental health challenge without a license has ventured into unethical territory.
Unfortunately I’ve heard stories and seen first hand the harm that can be done when well intentioned horse people and community members get in over their heads or do not used trauma informed best practices when working with vulnerable people. Riding lessons and time around horses are great and benefit so many people, but those activities are not treatment for mental health conditions on their own.
All clinicians allowed to partner with horses at Healthy Strides are licensed or interns in their final semesters of a counseling degree. They have all gone through trainings specifically in equine assisted work from a highly respected program in addition to their course work and nearly a thousand hour minimum internship hours. Clinical and equine specific supervision are regularly utilized. There are many programs across the country that hold themselves to similar standards. There are also many equine assisted activities programs that do a great job sharing horses and knowledge and empowerment even if they are not providing psychotherapeutic (or physical therapy) programming.
