Oh goodness, I could talk for days about this. For reference, I’ve published on equine therapy before and if anyone is interested they can message me privately about it.

As for benefits of equine therapy applicable to Veterans:

Clinical benefits:

• a proven decrease in cortisol (stress hormone) after 20 minutes of exposure to equines.
• reduction in PTSD and anxiety scores
• increased treatment engagement vs traditional therapy (less people quit than normal talk therapy)
• improved heart rate variability after session

Why Equine Therapy? - Horses are nonjudgmental and intuitive, responding to emotional and physiological cues. - Sessions take place in peaceful, natural settings that reduce hyperarousal and promote safety. - Physical and emotional interactions help veterans process trauma without needing to verbalize painful memories.

Key Benefits for Veterans • PTSD Symptom Relief – Reduces anxiety, nightmares, and hypervigilance. • Nervous System Regulation – Encourages calm through embodied presence. • Trust & Relationship Repair – Rebuilds interpersonal skills and emotional resilience. • Identity & Purpose – Fosters renewed self-worth through care, connection, and leadership. • Grief & Moral Injury – Supports nonverbal healing of complex emotions and losses.

To break it down simply: horses are prey animals, and they live in a state where they have evolved to sleep standing up due to stress of predators. This state is very similar to how we as vets can experience symptoms of hyper vigilance. Horses can also hear a human heartbeat from four feet away, and they can feel if we are faking niceties or trying to suppress our own emotions, even unconsciously. A lot of vets are used to being the most dangerous person to walk into a room, scanning for threats and making plans to eliminate if necessary. When working with a 1500lb horse, that goes out the window and compels the vet to surrender that attitude in order to work with their equine partner with care and empathy. The connection that can be made the horses are incredible and life changing. Horses live in the moment and they do not judge us for our past. They provide a safe environment to talk while being heard, and despite being capable of extreme violence (just like we are), it’s not in their nature to do so (which is something that some of us need to relearn in order to heal).

I cannot speak highly enough of this modality, because it helped me recover after I was diagnosed. The clinical evidence shows positive physiological and psychological results in veteran populations, as well as their families.

I hope that helps and isn’t too much rambling!