Introduction to Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Comprehensive Overview (2nd Edition)

By Patti Mandrell, ME.d. LPC, EAPIII Excerpt from the textbook…. What is Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Anyway? This question has been asked more times than I can keep track of. I have spent the past seven years trying to explain to others what Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is and what it is not. “I’ve got a horse that needs some therapy,” they would laugh and say as they walked by. No, EAP is not psychotherapy for horses although I have seen some horses become more confident and expressive after being involved in several EAP sessions. The others would quickly interrupt as I attempted in my explanation of EAP saying, “Oh yeah, I have a friend whose daughter is doing that for her physical therapy.” Again, the answer is no – EAP is not the same as hippotherapy or therapeutic riding. Nevertheless, I have seen many people with disabilities benefit from EAP. “Oh, so you teach the kids to ride. I know horses are good for teaching kids about responsibility and discipline.” You are right;