Sohail F Shareef, a corporate employee in Hyderabad, had been struggling with insomnia due to years of working night shifts. Despite trying self-medication like melatonin gummies and other conventional treatments, he didn’t find relief. Since he was reluctant to visit a doctor for fear of the diagnosis and costs, an acquaintance recommended Nimrah Mirza, a psychologist in Hyderabad who specialises in Equine-assisted Therapy (EAT), a form of psychotherapy that involves horses to aid in physical or emotional healing.
“Severe work pressure and stress used to define my day, but my sessions with Mirza were life-changing. It was not an instant transformation, but after two weekly sessions, each lasting an hour and a half, I began noticing improvements in my mental state. My mind became calmer, and I also started falling asleep easily at night. I also noticed that I wasn’t as fidgety or anxious anymore,” he says.
Mirza is not only a certified therapist, but also an experienced horse rider and owner. She combined her expertise as a psychologist with her love for horses to create a programme that is a first-of-its-kind in Telangana and offers support for various issues, from addiction and grief to trauma and hyperactivity. It was her personal battle with anxiety that led her to find solace outside conventional therapy. Recognising the therapeutic qualities of equines in providing comfort and companionship, she decided to integrate them into her counselling sessions.
Equine therapy consists of two major accepted models: The British model, which focuses on riding as a sport that promotes both physical and mental well-being, and the German and Swiss model, which stresses the medical benefits of riding and the physical changes that occur with the rider’s musculoskeletal system. Mirza’s programme combines both.
First, clients engage in simple stretching exercises like tossing a ball from one hand to another or light movements and breathing techniques while mounted on the horse. Second, they work with the equine, gaining its trust through grooming, petting and feeding. Mirza, who has assisted 25 people so far, illustrates this with an example. “For people with postural or back issues, mounting the horse activates pressure points in the body, leading to improved circulation and pain relief,” she states.
Recent studies carried out by the Centauro-Quirón Foundation (a Spanish institution dedicated to animal-assisted therapy) have shown that equine-assisted therapy not only improves motor functionality through exercises on the ground and horseback riding but also psychological, psychic and emotional aspects through the bond between patients and horses. “Working with horses is a time-honoured method of coping with stress and other psychological issues in the West,” says Mirza. Studies have also shown that interaction with horses can help improve fine (grip, coordination of small muscle movement) and gross (gait, balance, and muscle tone) motor functions, cognitive abilities and social skills.
“Horses, like dogs, are uniquely tuned to understand human emotions and actively help in reducing negativity. Spending time outdoors with horses promotes natural daylight exposure, and fresh air, and has been linked to improved attention spans, reduced stress levels, enhanced mood, and a lowered risk of psychiatric disorders,” says the 32-year-old, as she pets her favourite racehorse, five-year-old Malala.
Belonging to a family that has long been drawn to horses (her father is a keen racing enthusiast, ex-polo player and horse owner) has helped Mirza along the way. Sessions with her take place at the serene Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club, providing a peaceful environment for therapy. The psychologist conducts one-hour sessions costing Rs 2,500, which include counselling and interactions with horses. When asked why she chooses horses over other animals, the therapist says, “Horses are benevolent creatures that instinctively understand the human mind, bringing out the best in people. The riders have often realised that their reflexes are faster, thinking is sharper, and judgement is better after a ride.”
The horse whisperers The phenomenon of using horses for therapy can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks with Hippocrates documenting the physical and emotional benefits of horseback riding. In the 1790s, the York Retreat in England was credited as the first animal-based facility for the mentally ill. A similar programme was created in Germany in 1867 to help resident patients with various developmental disabilities and epilepsy. A formal study of the human-animal bond followed years later and had its beginnings in veterinary medicine. EAT has proven effective for various age groups, including children, teens and adults. Conditions such as substance use disorders, PTSD, eating disorders, dementia, learning challenges, ADD/ADHD, autism, Asperger’s and Down Syndrome responds well to this therapeutic approach.
