When equine therapy first became popular as a therapeutic modality, it found its way into many addiction treatment centers. At the same point in time, the theory of dual diagnosis — where addicts are understood to have a secondary diagnosis in addition to an addiction — was also gaining ground. As more and more sufferers of addiction were found to have experienced trauma that might be at the root of their proclivity for addictive substances, the thought was that introducing horses that have also been abused in some way, would help these patients relate to the horses, and consequentially, their own traumas.

However, during this time, the thought of particular breeds being more adept as therapy horses was not considered. Yet for the horse experts who were often employed to work alongside the therapists in the equine therapy sessions, this was clearly a question worth pondering. And to those who have spent years showing, riding and training horses, the idea that breed does not influence personality, behavioral characteristics, and certainly ability to work in the therapeutic capacity, would be absurd.

Yet even given the breed differences that are clear to people familiar with horses, the calling of a therapy horse is somewhat unique. Not asked to “perform” in typical horse events, the therapy horse is asked to do something that most people, themselves, struggle with. He is expected to be ability to interpret the underlying thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of the person. While the outward responses a person can have to many situations are frequently obvious to those around him, what the therapist is most concerned with is what is not said, expressed, or otherwise made obvious. For this, she turns to the horse. Through the horse’s responses to the person, the hope is that often unconscious motives will be revealed. Then once this shadowed self is out in the open for not only the therapist, but also the patient to see, internal conflicts can be resolved.

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