Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is a form of experiential therapy that involves interactions between clients and horses. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EAP uses ground-based activities — you do not ride the horse. Instead, you work alongside the horse in structured exercises that reveal patterns in how you relate to others, manage emotions, and handle challenges.

Horses are remarkably sensitive to human emotional states. They respond to your body language, energy, and emotional signals in real time, providing immediate, honest feedback that no human therapist can replicate. This makes equine therapy particularly powerful for people who struggle with trust, have experienced trauma, or find it difficult to connect in traditional therapy settings.

Peggy Martin is a Level 1 Certified Equine-Assisted Psychotherapist through EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association), the leading international organization for equine-assisted therapy standards. Sessions take place in Abilene, TX at a facility designed for this work.

A typical session lasts about 50-60 minutes and takes place in an outdoor arena or round pen. You will be guided through activities that involve observing, approaching, and interacting with the horse on the ground. These might include leading the horse through an obstacle course, grooming, or simply standing in the horse's space and noticing what comes up.

After the activity, we process what happened together. How did the horse respond? What emotions came up for you? What patterns do you notice? The horse's behavior becomes a mirror for your own relational patterns, and the insights that emerge are often profound and immediate.