Is Equine-assisted therapy “less evidence based” than traditional therapy?

Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is often misunderstood.

It’s sometimes dismissed as “less evidence-based” than traditional talk therapies.

In reality, EAT draws directly from the same foundations as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT).

At Berkman Academy, horses provide a living, responsive environment where clients don’t just talk about change, they practice it.

Why It Matters

Traditional talk therapy focuses on discussion and reflection.

Equine-assisted therapy adds experience.

Horses respond instantly to a person’s body language, tone, and energy.

That feedback allows clients to see and adjust their thoughts and behaviors in real time.

This transforms therapy from something conceptual into something lived.

EAT makes evidence-based ideas practical, embodied, and measurable.

How EAT Reflects CBT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact.

EAT brings those concepts to life:

• Action over avoidance: Grooming and leading horses builds confidence through direct engagement.

• Safe exposure: Clients face mild anxiety triggers in a calm, supportive setting.

• Reframing through metaphor: Horses reflect human emotion and energy, offering new ways to see and shift patterns.

• Skill building: Each session strengthens assertiveness, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills.

  
  

Through these experiences, clients learn to recognise and shift unhelpful thought patterns, not just intellectually, but physically.

How EAT Reflects ACT

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches people to live with awareness, acceptance, and action guided by their values.

EAT mirrors these same principles in motion:

• Mindfulness: Horses respond only to the present moment, drawing clients into full awareness.

• Acceptance: Clients learn to stay steady with uncomfortable emotions rather than avoiding them.

• Diffusion: They begin to see thoughts as passing stories, not commands.

• Flexibility: Working with horses requires adaptability, trying again, adjusting, staying open.

Every session builds resilience and psychological flexibility, the foundation of wellbeing.

The Outcome

Clients who participate in equine-assisted sessions experience:

• Greater emotional regulation and resilience

• Improved confidence and self-awareness

• Deeper connection with self and others

• Practical coping tools for everyday life

It’s therapy through movement, connection, and real-time feedback, not just talk.

The Bottom Line

Equine-assisted therapy isn’t a “less evidence-based” approach.

It’s an embodied form of evidence-based therapy.

At Berkman Academy, we help people reconnect with themselves using horses, movement, and nature, applying the same evidence-based principles that underpin CBT and ACT, but in a way that clients can feel and live.

Interested to learn more? Contact us today.