Equine Therapy for Military
and other victims of PTSD
Responses to traumatic experiences vary depending on the individual and the situation. Examples of potentially traumatic events include military combat, witnessing or being the victim of crime or abuse, enduring a natural disaster, and losing a loved one due to death.
Equine therapy can help individuals work through the pain of traumatic life experiences. Equine therapy may help clients to find more internal resources than they knew they had, to strengthen coping skills, to practice asking for and receiving help, and to begin to regain a sense of control. Much of the process of Equine therapy is nonverbal, which is especially potent for individuals who have experienced traumatic events that they are not able to express fully in words. For many clients, developing a relationship with a horse is the first step in re-developing positive relationships with friends and loved ones.
