Introduction

Abstract

During the last decade a novel way of working with people experiencing a range of emotional and social difficulties has started to gain recognition in the UK by the mental health and allied helping professions. This exciting new field utilises horses alongside trained professionals and is known variously as equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP), equine-assisted therapy (EAT), equine-assisted learning (EAL), equine-assisted activities (EAA), equine-assisted counselling (EAC) and equine-facilitated mental health (EFMH), amongst others. There are also variations on these terms, utilising the word ‘facilitated’ instead of ‘assisted’ to different effect (Halberg, 2008). Whilst conversely Riding for the Disabled (RDA), where people with physical disabilities ride horses, was started in the UK, the field of EAT and EAL has a much longer established base in the USA where Rupert Isaacson’s bestselling book The Horse Boy, about the experiences of his autistic son being helped by horses, has recently helped to give the field international publicity.