Horses not only are fun to ride, but can help teach relationship skills as well as aiding people with physical or mental disabilities.  Horses can mirror the feelings people try to hide.  They teach relationship skills.  But therapeutic work with horses does not necessarily involve riding, it can happen during grooming, or with the horse on a long rein.  Equitherapy can improve posture and well-being.  You see people opening up and smiling more.  Horses are very sensitive; they pick up on emotions, without being judgemental and this allows people to express themselves.  People's lives can be transformed by interaction with a horse.  They see how to communicate with others, and what they need to change in themselves.  They learn how to say no, and set limits, but in a natural way, without a power struggle.  There is intuitive communication between horses and humans, the horse brings people into the here and now.  Equitherapy has been used to treat eating disorders, and even help rehabilitate prisoners.  It's no accident that so many of the greatest leaders were skillful riders.  Horses invigorate your spirit and help you get in touch with the real beauty and power of life. 

I had never heard of this before. That is really cool that an animal can help someone so much. Animals are great for that reason you gave, they don't judge us and love us no matter who we are or what we look like. I had a pony when I was younger and I would love riding her on the weekends. They are such beautiful animals and that's great that they found that they can help people like that.

Also, in prisons they use dogs as therapy to rehabilitate prisoners.  I think that's a great idea, because as we all know, dogs are a man's best friend lol.  That's a really good solution, it teaches them to care and how to teach someone patience and it helps them recover, even though they can't talk to the animal, it helps.

Getting over an addiction can leave you feeling lonely, having a dog or any animal really can make you feel better.  They help you be more caring and conscious of other people's emotions.  Caring for animals gave me more of a purpose. 

I'd like to get back into horseback riding.  It's so relaxing, much better than plopping yourself on the couch.  Horses are very smart, and can have a lot of emotions too, and they only want to please you.  I use to ride when growing up, it taught me a lot of responsibility.

a lot of animals can sense when your in pain but I guess horses can help your pain since you can interact with them and ride them, things you cant do with a dog or a cat.

kingshabu said: a lot of animals can sense when your in pain but I guess horses can help your pain since you can interact with them and ride them, things you cant do with a dog or a cat.

I think any animal that can sense your pain could help you. Sometimes it just feels better than a human because its something that you usually take care of, and they cant talk to you but yet they'll try to do so many things to cheer you up. My cat never lets me pet her but when she see's that I'm in a sad mood she'll sit on me and purr and then just start playing right next to me, when normally she doesn't even get close to me.