Equine-assisted therapy and therapeutic riding programs use horses to support human mental and physical health outcomes, but the welfare of the horses themselves requires dedicated attention and assessment.
Therapy horses occupy a position of institutional importance where their welfare can be overshadowed by the human therapeutic goals they serve. A horse that tolerates unpredictable handling, proximity to mobility aids, and close contact with distressed clients requires robust welfare support in return. Programs that monitor horse behavioral indicators, provide adequate rest between sessions, allow social contact with other horses, and empower horses to express discomfort through learned signals produce better welfare outcomes and — evidence suggests — better therapeutic outcomes. Horse welfare and client benefit are not in tension; they are complementary.