Equine-assisted therapy services

We provide equine-assisted therapy sessions for individuals, families, and groups led by a qualified mental health professional and an equine behaviour specialist. Our one-to-one sessions are tailored to meet the unique needs of each young person and can include family members when this supports the therapeutic goals.

We also offer group sessions for young people through schools, alternative education providers, and organisations supporting vulnerable or at-risk youth. All our interventions focus on promoting emotional well-being, building confidence, and fostering connection through positive interactions with horses

  • A qualified mental health specialist and equine behaviour specialist lead the hour-long session.

  • We offer group therapy sessions exclusively to private groups. These sessions, led by a qualified mental health specialist and an equine behaviour specialist, last 90 minutes.

Who can benefit from equine-assisted therapy?

Our interventions can help anyone in need of mental health support, in particular those young people who may struggle to access room-based mental health services.  

“I love coming here. It doesn’t feel like London. You can think, it is calm and all the stuff I have to deal with (at home) is gone while I am here”
— SLTH Young Person

Individual equine-assisted therapy session

Our one-to-one sessions are designed to support each young person's unique needs with expert care.

  • Sessions are led by a qualified mental health professional and an equine behaviour specialist

  • Each session lasts 60 minutes

  • Cost per session: £180

  • Bursaries available – if cost is a barrier, please complete the bursary form when making a referral

Group equine-assisted therapy session

Our group sessions are tailored to support the needs and personal development goals of the young people involved.

  • Led by a qualified mental health professional and an equine behaviour specialist

  • Available to private groups only

  • 90-minute sessions

  • Cost per session: £488 (for up to 8 young people)

  • Bursaries available – if cost is a barrier, please complete the bursary form when making a referral

These sessions are ideal for schools, alternative education providers, and organisations working with vulnerable or at-risk young people.

Group of young children watching a white horse in SLTH arena

How equine therapy works

We use Equine-Assisted Therapy to provide an alternative psychotherapeutic experience and treatment for young people who find it difficult to engage with a therapist or professionals around their mental wellbeing in a conventional way. Our team combines the expertise of clinical psychologists with equine behaviour specialists to provide equine therapy in a private and confidential facility. 

Young people are encouraged to work with the horses in an unstructured way; usually, the horses are loose, allowing them to demonstrate their natural behaviours.

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Sessions are delivered in an outdoor confidential setting by a team of mental health professionals, equine specialists and naturally, horses.

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Young people are encouraged to work with loose horses, allowing the animals to display natural behaviours.

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The horses respond to young people’s emotions and behaviours, for example, moving away from someone who is angry.

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Young people notice the horses' behaviour and reflect on their influence on it.

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Young people think about what the horses are experiencing and relate this to their own experiences.

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Mental health staff guide therapeutic conversations, helping young people reflect on challenges and develop better coping strategies.

Equine-assisted therapy programme outcomes

Making sense of lived experiences 

Regulating our nervous system 

Finding compassion for self and others 

Building self-awareness and understanding how we affect others – and how others affect us. 

Exploring and affirming identities with young people 

Get in touch

Get in touch to explore how we can support the young people you work with. We’ll work with you to design a bespoke equine-assisted therapy programme tailored to their needs and goals.

No two programmes are the same — each one is tailored around the individual or group, ensuring the support we offer is relevant, meaningful, and impactful.

Why Horses

Horses naturally respond to the emotional issues people bring to sessions and reflect the emotions of people in their own behaviour. The young people are asked to reflect on the behaviour they see from the horses and their own role in influencing this behaviour.

By projecting their emotions on to the animals, the young people open up about their own emotions and life experiences; giving the mental health staff the opportunity to facilitate therapeutic conversations to help the young person think about their personal challenges, learn to identify and manage their emotions and develop coping strategies for the challenges they face.

What our young people say

Our Impact

In 2023/24, we supported 455 young people.

Reported improvements in all three personal development goals set.

Said they were less likely to give up when tasks got difficult.

Had more confidence in their abilities.

Said their mental health had improved.

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