What is Equine-Assisted Therapy?
Equine-assisted therapy is an experiential therapeutic form where horses participate as co-counsellors. The model applied at our facility, Horse Lover’s Haven, uses a combination of the concepts of natural horsemanship, play therapy, story-telling, and problem-solving exercises.
Picture yourself with a horse professional, and a counsellor in a barn setting. The counsellor will pick an exercise based on the issues you have come to counselling with. You will be asked to focus on your body language, and that of the horse as the two of you interact. The counsellor will assign an activity, and will stop the process at certain points to ask you what you are learning from the interaction with the horse, from the horse’s body language, or from your own interpersonal experiences.
Horses are very much like humans in that they are social animals. They have defined roles within their herds. Horses have distinct personalities, attitudes, and moods. There are all sorts of opportunities for metaphorical learning. 
Using an aspect of the interaction with the horse as a symbol of an issue the individual is struggling with, learning takes place. Due to the fact that horses have the ability to mirror exactly what human body language is telling them, many opportunities arise to learn from the equine exercises. The horse play that happens during equine-assisted therapy activates creativity, and allows for the transformation of struggles into something healing.
"Well, Beautiful Ladies. Here we are. Can your believe we're at the end of round two? We've come a long way. We've gone from parkas and toques to tank tops and ball caps! It's been an amazing journey. I feel so blessed to have shared the past few months of Fridays with all of you and though it may feel like the end, I can say with confidence that this party is just getting started!! I have learned so much from you amazing women and when I take the time to reflect, I am overwhelmed with emotion at the depth of the gifts that I have been given by all of you. We have laughed together and cried together. We've overcome fears and come to understand personal mysteries we had never even contemplated before these magical creatures we call horses came into our lives. My life will never be the same again and for that I thank you. You've changed it by sharing your souls with me and giving me the courage to share mine with you. I wish you all strength and valor on your journeys and hope that in some small way, I can be part of it".
Name Withheld, Vernon, BC