IKANN WELLNESS

What Is Equine-Assisted Therapy?

Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is an evidence-based therapeutic approach that incorporates interactions with horses into the mental health treatment process. Unlike horseback riding lessons, equine therapy focuses on ground-based activities — grooming, leading, observing, and simply being present with the horse — facilitated by a licensed therapist and an equine specialist.

Horses are uniquely suited to therapeutic work because they are prey animals with highly attuned nervous systems. They respond immediately and honestly to human emotional states — if you're anxious, the horse becomes anxious. If you're calm and grounded, the horse relaxes. This real-time biofeedback creates powerful opportunities for self-awareness and emotional regulation.

How Equine Therapy Helps

Trauma Processing

Horses help bypass intellectual defenses, allowing access to emotions stored in the body that talk therapy may not reach.

Emotional Regulation

Learning to calm a 1,000-pound animal teaches you to regulate your own nervous system.

Boundary Setting

Working with horses requires clear, assertive communication — a skill that transfers directly to human relationships.

Trust Building

Developing a relationship with a horse rebuilds the capacity for trust that trauma may have damaged.

Present-Moment Awareness

Horses live entirely in the present, pulling you out of rumination about the past or anxiety about the future.

Self-Confidence

Successfully communicating with and directing a large animal builds genuine self-efficacy.

What to Expect in an Equine Therapy Session

Pre-session check-inMeet with your therapist to set intentions and discuss your current emotional state.
Introduction to the horseObserve the horse's behavior and notice your own reactions — curiosity, hesitation, calm, or nervousness.
Guided activitiesGrooming, leading, obstacle courses, or simply standing with the horse. Each activity is chosen to support your therapeutic goals.
ProcessingYour therapist helps you connect the experience with the horse to patterns in your life — how you approach relationships, handle fear, or assert your needs.
IntegrationIdentify takeaways and how to apply the insights you've gained to your daily life and ongoing recovery.
Note: No prior horse experience is required. All activities are ground-based — you will not ride the horse.

Conditions Treated with Equine Therapy

  • PTSD and complex trauma
  • Anxiety and panic disorders
  • Depression and emotional numbness
  • Substance use disorders
  • Grief and loss
  • Codependency and relationship issues
  • Low self-esteem and identity struggles
  • First responder and occupational trauma

Equine Therapy as Part of Your Treatment Plan

At IKANN Wellness, equine-assisted therapy is integrated into our PHP, IOP, and individual therapy programs — not offered as a standalone service. This ensures that the insights gained during equine sessions are processed and reinforced through your broader treatment plan.

PHP

Partial Hospitalization →

IOP

Intensive Outpatient →

Individual

Individual Therapy →

Sometimes the most profound healing happens outside the therapy office.

Discover what equine-assisted therapy can unlock for you.

📞 (786) 504-7626 📧 office@ikannwellness.com
2901 Stirling Rd, Suite 203, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 — Open 7 Days, 9 AM – 9 PM
📞 Call Now 📝 Contact Us
WEBSITE IN DEVELOPMENT

Preview Access Only

This website is currently under development and available for preview purposes only. Services shown may not yet be available.

For current offerings, contact us:

(786) 504,7626 office@ikannwellness.com