Equine therapy is a newer form of treatment for mental and behavioral health, however, the vast number of benefits of equine therapy show why it is becoming such a sought-after treatment. From improved emotional regulation to reduced stress, equine therapy can have numerous benefits, especially for teens dealing with mental health issues.
This article will take a closer look at other equine therapy benefits and how it can be transformative for some people during treatment. If you are looking for immediate help for your teen, Nexus Teen Academy offers equine therapy through a third-party provider as a part of our treatment plan. Call our team today to learn more about this form of treatment and understand if equine therapy is covered by insurance.
Teen Equine Therapy Benefits
As a parent or guardian, you might wonder how equine therapy is beneficial for teens with mental health and behavioral disorders. Some benefits of equine therapy include the following:
Enhanced Emotional Regulation
Equine therapy can help your teen regulate their emotions. Horses can be gentle, sensitive, and non-judgmental. They also tend to mirror the feelings of the person handling them. If your teen’s emotions are unregulated, horses will pick up on that. Equine therapy will help your teen regulate their emotions to effectively work with horses. Additionally, riding and grooming horses can soothe your teen’s negative emotions.
Equine therapy incorporates mindfulness techniques to aid in emotional regulation. Mindfulness allows teens with mental health conditions to recognize their emotions and surroundings. It also enables them to slow down their thoughts and assess the situation. This process assists teens in recognizing negative emotions and striving for more positive behavior.
Stress Reduction
Engaging with animals can provide significant comfort to your teen. Research indicates that petting an animal lowers cortisol levels while increasing oxytocin production. Oxytocin is associated with enhanced mood and reduced anxiety. By riding or petting a horse, your teen can experience calming effects and a decrease in negative feelings. Although your teen’s stress levels might increase while they anticipate working with a horse, these symptoms reduce drastically during actual interaction.
Building Trust
Oxytocin, the feel-good hormone, is linked to bonding. It allows mothers to bond with their children and individuals to bond with friends and romantic partners. When your teen works with a horse, increased oxytocin production enables them to create a horse-human relationship. Your teen has to trust that the horse will not harm them. Horses are large and sensitive animals. Working with them can lead to physical injury. However, a strong human-animal relationship reduces the risk of any physical harm. Your teen needs to build this relationship by fostering trust.
Enhanced Confidence
Teens with mental health and behavioral conditions, such as teen anxiety, may become more confident as they work with horses. Petting and feeding a nearly 2000-pound animal requires confidence. The confidence to work with horses can spill over to normal day-to-day interactions, making teens more confident while interacting with others.
Physical Benefits
Equine therapy can have numerous physical benefits. When your teen interacts with a horse, it increases their physical activity. Exercise is known to reduce symptoms of depression and pain. During exercise, your teen’s body releases endorphins, which regulate mood and relieve pain.
Research Supporting the Benefits of Equine Assisted Therapy
Several studies have examined the effectiveness of equine therapy for mental health conditions. According to astudypublished in 2024, equine therapy had positive impacts on teens with mental health conditions like teen depression. The research evaluated various other studies assessing the benefits of equine therapy. It provided a comparative analysis of multiple studies and their results.
According to the study, equine therapy helps teens improve their self-confidence and worth. It also assists teens in learning how to control their emotions, positively impacts mood, and improves social interactions. The study concluded that equine therapy can benefit teens with emotional regulation issues. If your teen has a behavioral health condition, they may struggle to control their emotions. With equine therapy, your teen can learn to cope with negative emotions.
How to Get Started with Equine Therapy for Teen Mental Health
Getting started with equine therapy involves various steps, including the following:
Understanding equine therapy: Before taking your teen to the therapy facility, you must educate yourself on equine therapy. Conduct a lot of research and evaluate whether it will benefit your teen. Conducting research also enables you to get a diagnosis and contact your insurance provider for coverage. You can also seek grants and scholarships from different organizations if the therapy is not covered.
Assessing your teen’s needs: As a parent or guardian, you should determine your teen’s needs before beginning therapy. Evaluate whether equine therapy is a suitable complementary treatment for mental health struggles. Ask your teen’s primary healthcare provider to assess the best complementary therapy for your teen.
Finding a certified program: Look for accredited organizations to provide equine therapy. PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) and EAGALA (Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association) are the main groups that certify equine therapy facilities.
Preparing for sessions: Prepare your teen emotionally for therapy sessions. You should also buy the appropriate attire to ensure they are ready for the sessions.
Equine Therapy Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy is Arizona’s premier mental health treatment facility. Nexus provides a tranquil environment where your teen can focus on treatment. We believe in a comprehensive treatment approach combining evidence-based and complementary, holistic therapies. Nexus works directly with third-party equine therapy providers to complement our evidence-based treatment.
If you’d like to learn more about our programming and inquire about equine therapy specifically,contact our team today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the age requirements for equine therapy?
Children as young as four can be candidates for equine-assisted therapy. However, Nexus Teen Academy doesn’t take clients under 12 years old.
Benefits of Teen Equine Therapy
Published By nexus_admin
Published On February 15, 2025
Table of Contents
Equine therapy is a newer form of treatment for mental and behavioral health, however, the vast number of benefits of equine therapy show why it is becoming such a sought-after treatment. From improved emotional regulation to reduced stress, equine therapy can have numerous benefits, especially for teens dealing with mental health issues.
This article will take a closer look at other equine therapy benefits and how it can be transformative for some people during treatment. If you are looking for immediate help for your teen, Nexus Teen Academy offers equine therapy through a third-party provider as a part of our treatment plan. Call our team today to learn more about this form of treatment and understand if equine therapy is covered by insurance.
Teen Equine Therapy Benefits
As a parent or guardian, you might wonder how equine therapy is beneficial for teens with mental health and behavioral disorders. Some benefits of equine therapy include the following:
Enhanced Emotional Regulation
Equine therapy can help your teen regulate their emotions. Horses can be gentle, sensitive, and non-judgmental. They also tend to mirror the feelings of the person handling them. If your teen’s emotions are unregulated, horses will pick up on that. Equine therapy will help your teen regulate their emotions to effectively work with horses. Additionally, riding and grooming horses can soothe your teen’s negative emotions.
Equine therapy incorporates mindfulness techniques to aid in emotional regulation. Mindfulness allows teens with mental health conditions to recognize their emotions and surroundings. It also enables them to slow down their thoughts and assess the situation. This process assists teens in recognizing negative emotions and striving for more positive behavior.
Stress Reduction
Engaging with animals can provide significant comfort to your teen. Research indicates that petting an animal lowers cortisol levels while increasing oxytocin production. Oxytocin is associated with enhanced mood and reduced anxiety. By riding or petting a horse, your teen can experience calming effects and a decrease in negative feelings. Although your teen’s stress levels might increase while they anticipate working with a horse, these symptoms reduce drastically during actual interaction.
Building Trust
Oxytocin, the feel-good hormone, is linked to bonding. It allows mothers to bond with their children and individuals to bond with friends and romantic partners. When your teen works with a horse, increased oxytocin production enables them to create a horse-human relationship. Your teen has to trust that the horse will not harm them. Horses are large and sensitive animals. Working with them can lead to physical injury. However, a strong human-animal relationship reduces the risk of any physical harm. Your teen needs to build this relationship by fostering trust.
Enhanced Confidence
Teens with mental health and behavioral conditions, such as teen anxiety, may become more confident as they work with horses. Petting and feeding a nearly 2000-pound animal requires confidence. The confidence to work with horses can spill over to normal day-to-day interactions, making teens more confident while interacting with others.
Physical Benefits
Equine therapy can have numerous physical benefits. When your teen interacts with a horse, it increases their physical activity. Exercise is known to reduce symptoms of depression and pain. During exercise, your teen’s body releases endorphins, which regulate mood and relieve pain.
Research Supporting the Benefits of Equine Assisted Therapy
Several studies have examined the effectiveness of equine therapy for mental health conditions. According to a study published in 2024, equine therapy had positive impacts on teens with mental health conditions like teen depression. The research evaluated various other studies assessing the benefits of equine therapy. It provided a comparative analysis of multiple studies and their results.
According to the study, equine therapy helps teens improve their self-confidence and worth. It also assists teens in learning how to control their emotions, positively impacts mood, and improves social interactions. The study concluded that equine therapy can benefit teens with emotional regulation issues. If your teen has a behavioral health condition, they may struggle to control their emotions. With equine therapy, your teen can learn to cope with negative emotions.
How to Get Started with Equine Therapy for Teen Mental Health
Getting started with equine therapy involves various steps, including the following:
Equine Therapy Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy is Arizona’s premier mental health treatment facility. Nexus provides a tranquil environment where your teen can focus on treatment. We believe in a comprehensive treatment approach combining evidence-based and complementary, holistic therapies. Nexus works directly with third-party equine therapy providers to complement our evidence-based treatment.
If you’d like to learn more about our programming and inquire about equine therapy specifically, contact our team today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Children as young as four can be candidates for equine-assisted therapy. However, Nexus Teen Academy doesn’t take clients under 12 years old.