Horses Can Ease Anxiety

Anxiety can make thoughts race, muscles tense, and ordinary situations feel overwhelming. But time spent with horses can offer a gentle way to interrupt that cycle. Their calm presence, sensitivity to body language, and immediate response can encourage people to slow down, pay attention, and reconnect with what is happening in the moment.

Working with a horse also helps make communication more tangible. It’s often easier to notice small signals, such as a shift in posture, movement toward a touch, or a decision to step away. While working with horses, people learn to adjust accordingly. This kind of attentive interaction can shift focus from anxious thoughts to calm breathing, easy movement, paying attention to boundaries, and learning to notice the animal’s feedback.

This month, a newly released University of California Davis study led by Associate Professor Rebecca Calisi Rodríguez examined brief interactions between youth and miniature horses and donkeys. Participants were taught to observe whether an animal appeared to welcome scratching or chose to move away, giving the animals a clear role in shaping each encounter. The researchers found that after just three minutes of working with the horses, youth reported feeling calmer, less anxious, less lonely, and less sad. Even when the animal walked away, participants still reported reduced sadness. This finding suggests that respecting an animal’s choice contributes to an authentic, emotionally supportive experience rather than disappointment or frustration.

Horse assisted activities are not a substitute for professional behavioral health care, and one small study does not justify the direction of treatment for every person with anxiety. But this newest UC Davis research adds to the evidence that brief, respectful contact with horses and nature can complement broader mental health support by helping people practice calm attention, responsive communication, and connection.

This is why Engedi Refuge incorporates time spent with horses as a complement to the trauma therapy provided for women who have survived human trafficking. From April through September, Engedi Refuge partners with Promise 23 Ranch Ministries and Wild Faith Ranch to provide supportive, confidence building experiences with horses for women who are survivors of human trafficking.

The women in our program are working on rebuilding a sense of safety after trafficking, so the moments they spend with horses can help create space to slow down, notice what is happening in the present, and establish safe boundaries at a comfortable pace. This newest UC Davis study offers an encouraging glimpse of how even brief, respectful interactions with horses can help ease anxious feelings. When used alongside professional trauma therapy, time spent with horses can help create calmness, connection, and hope.