Why Horses? Understanding Equine-Assisted Learning in Dementia Care

September 2025 

It’s one of the first questions we’re asked.

Why horses?

It’s a fair question. When most people think about dementia support, they imagine support groups or clinical environments. Horses don’t immediately come to mind.

And yet — horses make profound sense.

At It Takes a Herd, we use equine-assisted learning as an educational and experiential approach to support care partners and people living with dementia. This is not therapeutic riding. It is not performance-based activity. It is not about horsemanship skills.

It is about relationships.

Horses Respond to What Is Present

Horses are highly attuned animals. They respond to body language, tone, energy, and clarity of communication. They do not rely on complex verbal instructions. They respond to intention and presence.

Dementia changes communication patterns and words can become harder to access. Processing slows and frustrations rise — for both partners.

Working with horses creates a natural opportunity to practice clear, calm, purposeful communication.

If a person approaches with hesitation, the horse notices. If a person steps in too quickly, the horse reacts. If someone pauses, regulates, and proceeds with clarity — the horse responds. The feedback is immediate and nonjudgmental.

And that is powerful.

A Shift From Managing to Partnering

In many caregiving relationships, roles slowly shift. Care partners become managers, protectors, and decision-makers. The original partnership can feel buried under logistics and responsibility.

In the arena, something different happens.

Both individuals are invited to participate. Both have a role. Both experience success.

Leading a horse together requires cooperation, timing, patience, and trust.

When it works, it is visible. When it doesn’t, it becomes a coaching moment — not a failure. We often see something subtle but meaningful: care partners stepping out of “control mode” and back into the relationship.

That shift matters far beyond the arena.

Purposeful Engagement Builds Confidence

Every activity within our program is ground-based and thoughtfully structured. Participants groom, lead, observe, and engage in problem-solving exercises with the horses.

These experiences promote:

• Purposeful engagement

• Autonomy

• Confidence

• Emotional regulation

• Shared accomplishment

  
  

For people living with dementia, success in the present moment fosters empowerment.

For care partners, witnessing that success can reshape expectations.

The Herd Effect

There is another layer that often goes unnoticed at first.

It is not just about the horses. It is about the Herd.

Horses naturally live in herds. They rely on group dynamics, communication, and leadership. When participants gather in our program, something similar begins to form.

Care partners connect with other care partners. Veterans reconnect with fellow veterans. Families realize they are not alone.

Equine-assisted learning provides a shared experience. The Herd provides the community, and community reduces social isolation — one of the most significant challenges for persons living with dementia and their care partners.

Why Horses?

Because they respond to presence. Because they require clarity. Because they reflect what we bring to the moment. Because they create opportunities for partnership instead of performance.

And because sometimes the most powerful learning happens not through words, but through experience. The horses simply help us make it visible.

At It Takes a Herd, the horses are the first powerful step toward shared connection and community.