Equine Therapy for Veterans

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a highly disabling condition and the signature disorder of many returning U.S. Armed Forces veterans. Symptoms such as nightmares, negative thoughts, and hypervigilance can cause debilitating anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Veterans with PTSD often avoid seeking treatment due to mistrust, stigma, concerns about the treatment experience, low emotional readiness, and logistical barriers. Many are now turning to alternative forms of therapy such as equine therapy.

To address this community need locally, Special Equestrians – a nonprofit therapeutic riding center located in Southeastern Pennsylvania that provides individual and group programs for people with disabilities – is introducing an equine therapy program for veterans in need of alternative mental health support and reside in Bucks County.

The Equine Therapy for Veterans program was the brainchild of Bucks County Commissioner Diane Marseglia, who is on the Board of Directors at Special Equestrians and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who mentors our staff social worker. Diane reached out to Special Equestrians’ Executive Director in May of 2025 when she found out that the center that had been serving county veterans, Shamrock Reins, was permanently closing in June. She asked if Special Equestrians would take on clients who participate in the Bucks County Veterans Treatment Court, are medically diagnosed with PTSD and a psychological and/or substance use disorder, and are cycling through the criminal justice system. Program leadership is setting a one-year goal of opening up 10 slots of 30-minute sessions per week – serving a total of 8-12 veterans over 440 sessions. Three clients have already been referred to the program.

The total cost of offering 10 slots of equine therapy for one year is $44,000.  The County of Bucks is funding 50% of program costs a grant from the Bucks County Bar Association. Funding from the Douglas T. Dougherty Foundation would allow us to cover the remaining costs for two local veterans.

Weekly ground-based sessions will be conducted at the barn by the Licensed Social Worker on our staff. While programming for each vet will be tailored to individual needs, therapy will always begin with a tour and an introduction to basic rules of behavior in the barn and around the horses. In Equine Therapy for Veterans, the horse typically chooses the veteran, rather than the other way around. This "joining up" process involves pairing veterans and horses together, and observing which horse naturally gravitates towards a particular veteran. Veterans spend the first few weeks grooming and leading the equine to build a trusting relationship. Horses respond to our nervous system, offering a sense of peace and connection without words. Once a bond has been created, the client will participate in various activities that explore nonverbal communication, boundaries, trust, and problem-solving skills.

Equine therapy isn’t simply about making veterans “feel better”. It is about helping them increase emotional awareness and the ability to regulate their body and their emotions. Unlike dogs, who grant love unconditionally, relationships with horses must be earned. One must build trust with a horse for it to welcome you into its world. Through equine therapy, veterans re-learn how to build trust and how to trust themselves again – valuable tools to help them succeed with family, work and social relationships.