Equine-assisted therapy for youth and families — where horses help open doors that words sometimes can't.
Equine-assisted therapy uses interactions with horses as part of the therapeutic process — but it's not horseback riding. Clients never ride, groom, or feed the horses. Instead, they interact with horses in their natural habitat, guided by a licensed therapist and a certified equine specialist working together. What happens in those moments — the way a horse responds, what emotions surface, what metaphors emerge — becomes the material of the session. Sessions typically last one hour and meet once per week. Most clients benefit from 12–15 sessions individually; group formats generally run about ten weeks. It may take a few sessions to feel natural — that's expected and normal. For many young people who have struggled to connect with traditional talk therapy, equine therapy provides a way in.
1 hour
Session Length
12–15 sessions
Typical Duration
Caldwell & Coeur d'Alene
Locations
Equine therapy is especially powerful for young people who feel disconnected, have difficulty expressing emotions verbally, or haven't responded to traditional therapy approaches. If your child has tried talking it out and it hasn't clicked — this is a different door.
We accept referrals from schools, pediatricians, therapists, and other care providers. Families may also self-refer.
If your child is expressing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please don’t wait to finish this guide.
If you believe your child may be in immediate danger or experiencing a mental health crisis, please seek help right away.
Call 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or dial 911 for emergency assistance.
Equine therapy can feel unfamiliar before you've tried it. Here's what actually happens.
Contact IYR by phone or through our online form. A member of our intake team will get back to you within one business day to answer questions and walk you through what to expect.
We'll gather some basic information about your child — their history, current challenges, and what you're hoping to gain from therapy. This helps us determine whether equine therapy is clinically appropriate.
Your child meets the therapist and equine specialist at one of our two locations — a 258-acre rural campus in Caldwell or a mountainside facility near Coeur d'Alene. The first session is often just about getting comfortable with the space and the horses.
Each hour-long session is led by a licensed therapist and a certified equine specialist. There is no agenda imposed on the horse — what happens organically in the arena guides the conversation. Clients observe, interact, and reflect on what they experience.
Your therapist will regularly check in on goals and progress. Family involvement is encouraged — ask your therapist how parents and caregivers can be part of the process.
Sessions meet once per week. Group formats run approximately ten weeks.
Each session is one hour.
At IYR, we believe healing happens when young people feel safe enough to be themselves — and horses are uniquely suited to create that environment. They mirror emotions without judgment. They respond to authenticity in a way that no human can replicate. Our licensed therapists and certified equine specialists work together in every session, blending clinical expertise with the natural therapeutic power of the horse-human relationship.
Many of the young people we serve carry experiences of trauma. Our entire team is trained to recognize how trauma shapes behavior and emotional response, and to create a space where clients feel safe — not pushed.
Equine therapy at IYR is fully integrative — it can complement individual or family counseling. The licensed therapist facilitates the clinical work while the equine specialist manages the animal interaction, ensuring both components are held with expertise.
Rather than analyzing the past through conversation alone, equine therapy allows clients to learn about themselves through direct experience — what they do, feel, and notice in the moment with the horse becomes the therapeutic material.
Families are encouraged to stay involved throughout the process. Ask your therapist about how caregivers can support progress between sessions and when family sessions may be appropriate.
Idaho Youth Ranch has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® for its outpatient counseling & therapy centers — including equine therapy — a nationally recognized symbol of quality and commitment to safe patient care.
IYR's equine therapy program operates at two dedicated sites — one in the Treasure Valley and one in North Idaho. Both are working rural settings designed to support the healing process.
We believe cost should never be the reason ayoung person doesn’t get the support they need. We work with families to makecare as accessible as possible.
We accept Idaho Medicaid.
We are in-network with many private insuranceproviders. Call us to verify your coverage before your first appointment.
No referral is required — families can reach out to us directly. We also accept referrals from schools, pediatricians, courts, and other community providers.
Answers to some of the questions families often ask when trying to understand these challenges.
No prior experience with horses is needed — and it's completely normal to feel nervous before a first session. What matters most is that equine therapy is clinically appropriate for your child's needs. Your therapist will help determine that during intake, and the first visit is designed to ease your child into the environment at their own pace.
No. Equine-assisted therapy at IYR is entirely groundwork-based. Clients do not ride, groom, or feed the animals. The therapeutic work happens through observation and interaction with the horses in their natural environment — guided by both a licensed therapist and a certified equine specialist.
Yes. Safety is built into every session. Clients stay on the ground — no riding — and all interaction happens within a structured, professionally managed environment. Our equine specialists are trained in animal safety and behavioral management, and sessions are always co-facilitated by a licensed therapist.
In equine therapy, the horse becomes part of the process. Horses are highly perceptive — they respond to the emotional state of the people around them, which can reveal patterns and feelings that are hard to access through conversation alone. For kids who struggle with traditional talk therapy, this can be a powerful alternative — or complement.
Both. Every IYR equine therapy session is co-facilitated by a licensed mental health therapist and a certified equine specialist. The therapist guides the clinical work; the equine specialist manages the horse interaction. It's a true partnership — and both professionals are present for every session.
We accept most Idaho Medicaid plans and are in-network with many private insurance providers. Coverage for equine therapy can vary by plan. The best next step is to call us or submit an inquiry — our intake team will help verify your coverage before you commit to anything.
Answers to the questions we hear most often:
