We offer a range of equine-assisted services tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals, groups, and organizations. All programs are grounded in evidence-based practices, decades of clinical expertise, and the intuitive, healing presence of horses. Our programs integrate Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Equine Assisted Learning, Trauma-Informed Care, Mindfulness practices, and Power Tools for Living to help participants:
Through hands-on work with horses, participants experience renewed connection, greater emotional regulation, and a safe space to heal.
Therapy in motion—guided by the wisdom of horses
EAP is a dynamic, experiential form of therapy where licensed mental health professionals and equine specialists work together to help participants address specific emotional health goals. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EAP takes place in a hands-on, outdoor setting with horses who naturally respond to emotional cues. Their immediate, nonjudgmental feedback helps participants:
Because the work is experiential, the lessons learned often feel more tangible and memorable, creating lasting change.
Emotional health skills learned through experience, not lectures .
Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) is a dynamic, hands-on approach to personal growth and skill development that involves guided interactions with one or more horses. These learning experiences are suitable for individuals of all ages, engaged couples, couples, families, corporate teams, and other work-related groups. They are designed to support growth across physical, emotional, cognitive, and social domains. Engaging with horses in this way nurtures empathy, builds confidence, enhances communication, and fosters mutual respect, offering valuable lessons that translate into everyday life.
In EAL, participants engage in structured, horse-related activities designed to teach specific skills. These may include teamwork, communication, leadership, and emotional regulation. After each activity, there is time for guided reflection—connecting what happened with the horses to real-life situations. This process of doing, reflecting, and applying helps participants:
Whether for a school group, workplace team, or individual, EAL delivers powerful insights that go beyond the arena.
Restoring integration to the brain and body
Trauma can disrupt the brain’s development and function, particularly in areas that regulate stress and emotional responses. Guided by the research of Dr. Bruce Perry, we structure interactions with horses to provide patterned, repetitive, and rhythmic sensory input which is key to reorganizing and calming the nervous system. Mindfulness and emotional health skills are practiced with the horses to further strengthen the calming of the brain.
These sessions help participants:
Over time, these experiences lay the groundwork for lasting emotional resilience.
Finding calm in the presence of a horse
In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook signs of stress or emotional overload. Horses—whose heart energy can help regulate our own—create a natural invitation to slow down and notice what’s happening inside.
Mindfulness sessions with horses help participants:
These skills, once learned with the horse, are transferable to daily life—helping participants respond to challenges with clarity and balance.
An emotional health skills learning program for all ages
Power Tools for Living focuses on six foundational emotional health skills:
These skills were chosen after reviewing Dr. Magnelli’s cases up until the writing of this program. The cases were grouped by presenting problems or issues and it was quickly noted that all the cases voiced some need for the above emotional health skills (constructs.) Simple activities were designed to “teach” the above constructs with extremely limited verbal teaching and strategically designed activities with the horses were used that would allow the participants to experientially discover the constructs.
POWER TOOLS FOR LIVING, written by Dr. Rob and Nancy Magnelli, is a step-by-step manual to develop and implement a complete Equine Assisted Learning program. This 80- page manual provides letters of introduction of the program to community leaders, such as after-school programs, Boys and Girls clubs, Rotary Clubs, Police Activities Leagues, adult service or work-related groups, etc., as well as presentations to make to these groups. The manual includes the methodology for participants to respectfully work with horses to elicit the implementation of the six Power Tool constructs which are vital to emotional health. Two research studies supporting the efficacy of the Power Tools for Living program, showing statistically significant outcome measurements are included in the manual. This program has been implemented in countries around the world with significant success.
A digitalized copy of the complete manual is available for a donation of $95 to Thriving with Horses, Inc. Email your request or questions to info@thrivingwithhorses.com
Thriving with Horses is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.All donations are tax-exempt to the extent allowed by law. EIN No.: 99-4652526.
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