In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988 Free, confidential, 24/7. Call us (719) 487-2123
In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988 Free, confidential, 24/7. Call us (719) 487-2123
Horses do not care about your title. They respond to who you actually are
*Talk to someone who understands what you are facing.
Equine therapy at Compass happens through our Faithful Hearts program. Working with horses helps clients build trust, regulate emotion, and reconnect with themselves in a way that talk therapy alone often cannot reach. For people who have spent years in their heads, getting into the body and into a relationship can be a genuine breakthrough.
Equine therapy is an experiential, relational form of treatment in which clients interact with horses under the guidance of a trained facilitator. There is no riding required. The work happens on the ground, through activities like leading, grooming, and simply being present with the animal. Because horses are highly attuned to emotion and respond honestly to your state in the moment, they become a kind of mirror.
Horses react to what you are actually feeling, not what you are performing, which surfaces patterns in how you connect, set boundaries, and handle stress, gently and in real time. That immediate, nonjudgmental feedback can move something loose that years of talking never quite reached, especially for trauma and for high achievers used to staying in their heads.
Trauma recovery and nervous system regulation
Trust, connection, and healthy boundaries
Emotional awareness and staying present
Confidence, calm, and self-compassion
Faithful Hearts is led by our Equine Services Director, Stephanie Smith, as part of your broader Compass plan. It complements your therapy and clinical work rather than replacing it, and it is one of the experiences clients most often remember as a turning point.
No. Equine therapy does not require any prior experience with horses, and there is no riding involved. A trained facilitator guides every session.
It supports trauma recovery, emotional regulation, trust, presence, and connection, and works especially well for people who have spent years in their heads.
No. It is one part of your coordinated Compass plan and works alongside your therapy and clinical care.
Our Equine Services Director, Stephanie Smith, leads the Faithful Hearts equine program.
