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GROUNDED HOOVES RECOVERY

Equine Assisted Therapy 

ACC Sensitive Claim Service
Funded Trauma-Informed Groups

HORSES EMPOWERING RECOVERY

Programme Overview

This equine-assisted therapy group is designed to support Stage 3 and Stage 4 trauma recovery, focusing on reintegration, relational confidence, and the consolidation of therapeutic gains into everyday life. At this stage of recovery, clients are ready to practice living with greater agency, connection, and confidence beyond individual therapy. This programme offers a structured, experiential, and relational setting in which clients can practice boundaries, emotional regulation, communication, and connection in real-time.

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The group format further strengthens reintegration by providing opportunities for shared experience, peer support, and relational learning. Participants practice collaboration, leadership, consent, and communication with both human and animal partners, reducing social avoidance and increasing confidence in safe relational engagement. The presence of horses also moderates the intensity of direct interpersonal interaction, supporting emotional safety while fostering connection.

Participant Benefits

Strengthen emotional regulation and resilience through experiential, horse-supported learning that builds grounding, affect tolerance, and adaptive coping.​

  • Enhance relational capacity

  • Deepen insight through non‑verbal, experiential feedback from horses

  • Build practical life skills—such as communication, boundaries, leadership, problem‑solving, and stress management

  • Reinforce identity and self-worth

  • Strengthen resilience across Te Whare Tapa Whā

  • Promote psychosocial learning

  • Cultivate belonging and relational safety.

It has helped me understand myself, discover myself, and understand others around me, in my life via how the horses interact with me/others in the group.
 
I would recommend a group like this to anyone needing some form of healing, understanding, therapy, coping skills, self growth, it has been so valuable to me and would be so valuable to others without a doubt.
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- C
I would say it has been a very life changing experience. Learning to know boundaries, body language, communication and your own tolerance levels, and doing this with people and horses is something special.
 
I would not have had the opportunity to do these things outside of this programme. When you isolate yourself like I have done it is so valuable learning to feel safer, more comfortable and confident.
 
Susan and Leanne make this work for everyone of us and make it a wonderful experience.​  Can't wait to be back there.
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- R
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