Working Animals

Horse Welfare in Equine Therapy

Equine-assisted therapy horses provide valuable therapeutic services but face welfare challenges from high workloads and inappropriate interactions.

Key Facts

Equine-assisted therapy is used for physical, occupational, and psychological rehabilitation
Therapy horses work with clients who may move unpredictably or cause discomfort
Stress indicators in therapy horses include pinned ears, tail swishing, and avoidance
Rest periods and voluntary participation protocols improve therapy horse welfare
Some therapy horses show no signs of chronic stress under well-managed programs

Welfare Considerations

Therapy horses give considerable service while being exposed to unpredictable handling by people with physical or behavioral challenges. Welfare standards for therapy programs vary widely. Best practice programs allow horses choice in participation, monitor stress indicators, provide rest days, and retire horses when signs of chronic stress appear.

What You Can Do

Support equine therapy programs that use voluntary participation protocols
Ask therapy centers about their horse welfare monitoring practices
Advocate for accreditation standards that include horse welfare requirements
Donate to retirement funds for equine therapy horses
Support research on optimizing therapy horse wellbeing