Equines

The Welfare of Horses Used in Therapy Programs

Equine-assisted therapy is growing rapidly but welfare standards for the horses involved are inconsistently applied, raising concerns about horse wellbeing.

Key Facts

Equine-assisted therapy programs number in the thousands across North America and Europe
Horses used in therapy experience high-contact sessions with unfamiliar people with disabilities
Signs of stress in therapy horses are often misread as calmness or cooperativeness
Many therapy programs lack qualified equine welfare assessors
Effective programs rotate horses and provide genuine rest and decompression time

Welfare Considerations

Therapy horses face a unique paradox: they are praised for tolerating high-contact, high-demand interactions while the signs that they find interactions stressful are read as evidence of suitability. Horses that stand still during rough handling are assumed to like it; behavioral equine scientists recognize that this learned helplessness may indicate the opposite. Evidence-based therapy horse welfare requires ongoing behavioral assessment, not just compliance monitoring.

What You Can Do

Support therapy programs that have trained equine welfare assessors on staff
Ask therapy providers how they monitor horse stress and provide rest and decompression
Advocate for welfare standards development in equine therapy program accreditation
Share equine welfare research with therapy providers who may be unaware of stress indicators