What is therapeutic horsemanship?
Therapeutic horsemanship is the bringing together of people and horses in activities which will improve the person’s wellbeing. It is part of a growing range of services allowing people to benefit from contact with horses in a safe supervised environment. These services are usually aimed at disadvantaged or socially excluded groups. Similar equine services include Equine Facilitated Learning, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Equine Assisted Therapy. It shares some similarities with Riding for the Disabled, but the focus of therapeutic horsemanship is on caring for the horse from the ground up (not just riding) and usually is offered to people with mental/behavioural and emotional issues rather than people with physical disabilities. These activities have been very popular in the States for some time, and are now starting to be recognised in the UK. NARHA (The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) has a department dedicated to Equine Facilitated Mental Health, and EAGALA