Equine-Assisted Services

Comprehensive Psychological Rehabilitation Programme “HIPPOTHERAPY”

Hippotherapy and equine-assisted interventions are widely recognised and increasingly integrated into rehabilitation and wellbeing programmes around the world. Drawing on international experience and practices, SHINE has developed a comprehensive rehabilitation programme designed to support psychoemotional recovery, strengthen resilience, and enhance overall wellbeing.

The programme is particularly effective in helping participants manage stress, improve emotional regulation, restore internal resources, and support recovery following highly stressful and traumatic life experiences, including military service and combat-related challenges.

The programme combines structured hippotherapy sessions with evidence-informed psychological and psychotherapeutic approaches, including cognitive and behavioural interventions, autogenic training, group psychotherapy, psychodynamic approaches, Gestalt therapy, psychodrama, art therapy, and logotherapy. This integrated approach helps reduce psychological distress, strengthen coping capacities, and activate personal resources for recovery and growth.

Sessions involve not only riding and therapeutic exercises but also meaningful interaction with horses. This unique form of engagement supports emotional awareness, reduces stress and anxiety, and creates opportunities to develop self-confidence, attention, adaptability, emotional balance, and interpersonal skills.

Each programme is delivered by a multidisciplinary team consisting of:

• Psychologist / Psychotherapist
• Hippotherapist
• Hippotherapy assistant (when required)
• Equine specialist / horse handler

Programme duration: 10 sessions (in case of necessity the program can be prolongated)

Available formats:

• Individual Programme
• Group Programme

SELF-MANAGEMENT Programme

SELF-MANAGEMENT is a proprietary SHINE programme designed to strengthen self-regulation, emotional resilience, and the ability to perform effectively under stress, uncertainty, and pressure.

The programme integrates evidence-informed psychological approaches, including cognitive-behavioural techniques, body-oriented methods, stress management practices, and psychoeducation, with equine-assisted interventions that provide immediate and authentic feedback on an individual's internal state and behavioural patterns.

Horses serve as highly sensitive partners in the learning process. They respond directly to a person's emotional state, level of tension, focus, and self-control. This interaction helps participants identify behavioural patterns, recognise internal barriers, and develop more effective ways of responding to challenges.

The programme follows a structured developmental process that moves participants from awareness to self-management and sustainable behavioural change.

Practical horse-assisted sessions are a core component of the programme. They enable participants to:

• Receive immediate and honest feedback about their emotional and behavioural state
• Identify the gap between intention and action
• Practise self-regulation and self-control in real-time interactions
• Reinforce new behavioural patterns through direct experience rather than theory alone
• Strengthen focus, adaptability, and emotional resilience

Programme structure:

• Four training days (10:30 - 15:30)
• Multidisciplinary team consisting of a psychologist, hippotherapist, and riding instructor
• Practical assignments between sessions
• Ongoing peer-support group
• Certificate of completion

Expected outcomes

Participants develop:

• Stronger self-regulation skills and reduced stress levels
• Greater ability to manage emotions rather than react to them
• Improved focus, attention control, and behavioural awareness
• Enhanced resilience in situations involving pressure and uncertainty
• Increased understanding of personal behavioural patterns and strategies for change
• Basic horseback riding skills
• A practical self-management framework applicable in both professional and personal life

Programme format

• Individual Programme
• Group Programme

QUIET STRENGTH Recovery Programme

QUIET STRENGTH is a three-day intensive recovery programme designed to restore psychoemotional wellbeing, strengthen resilience, and support sustainable recovery from stress and emotional exhaustion.

The programme combines:

• Group psychoemotional support sessions
• Body-oriented practices
• Recovery through interaction with nature and horses
• Structured rest and restoration
• A safe and supportive environment

Programme objectives

• Reduce anxiety and emotional exhaustion
• Restore connection with personal needs, strengths, and internal resources
• Develop self-regulation and stress management skills
• Strengthen resilience and emotional wellbeing

Participants stay for three days in a comfortable retreat-style environment with full accommodation, balanced meals, and refreshments provided throughout the programme. The natural setting, carefully designed recovery space, and limited use of digital devices support deep relaxation, reflection, and emotional restoration.

The QUIET STRENGTH Programme offers

• A safe environment for recovery, stabilisation, and personal reflection
• Evidence-informed approaches to psychoemotional wellbeing
• An integrated combination of psychology, body-based practices, and the restorative benefits of nature
• Practical tools that can be applied in everyday life
• Strengthening of personal resources and mental resilience
• A supportive and empowering group experience

Programme format: Group Programme

NATURE HEALING DAY

NATURE HEALING DAY is a one-day psychoemotional recovery programme designed to support wellbeing through meaningful interaction with nature and horses.

The programme aims to reduce stress, restore emotional balance, and help participants reconnect with themselves in a supportive natural environment. It combines evidence-informed psychological approaches with nature-based experiences and equine-assisted interventions that promote emotional awareness, self-reflection, and regulation.

How We Work

The programme includes two theoretical and two practical sessions, structured as a continuous developmental process:

Understanding → Awareness → Skills

Participants work with both a psychologist and a hippotherapist, ensuring an integrated approach that addresses cognitive, emotional, and body-based processes simultaneously.

The programme also includes refreshments and informal breaks that support reflection, connection, and recovery.

Expected Outcomes

Participants gain:

• Reduced stress, anxiety, and emotional tension
• Greater awareness of their emotions, reactions, and behavioural patterns
• Practical self-regulation tools that can be applied in everyday life
• Improved connection with their internal state and personal needs
• A restorative experience through interaction with nature and horses
• Increased emotional balance and resilience

Programme Value

NATURE HEALING DAY offers a meaningful opportunity to pause, restore, and reconnect. Participants leave with practical tools and insights that support a more conscious, balanced, and sustainable approach to everyday life.

Programme Format: Group Programme

Women's Recovery Programme “TAKE THE REINS”

TAKE THE REINS is a unique recovery and personal development programme for women, created by SHINE and grounded in evidence-informed psychological approaches, equine-assisted interventions, and experiential learning.

The programme is designed for women who:

• Feel overwhelmed by ongoing stress and responsibilities
• Have lost connection with themselves, their needs, and priorities
• Want to regain inner stability, confidence, and a sense of direction
• Seek practical tools for self-management and sustainable wellbeing

Participants work with a multidisciplinary team consisting of a psychologist, hippotherapist, and riding instructor. Within the programme, the horse serves as both a partner in learning and a sensitive mirror of a participant’s emotional and behavioural patterns, providing immediate and authentic feedback.

Expected Outcomes

Participants gain:

• Psychoemotional recovery and renewed personal resources
• Practical tools for stress management, self-regulation, and self-leadership
• Greater clarity regarding personal goals and priorities, supported by an individual action plan
• Stronger self-confidence and healthier relationships with themselves and others
• Experience in horseback riding and equine-assisted activities
• A supportive community and a psychologically safe environment
• Enhanced resilience, self-awareness, and personal growth

Programme Format

• Four training days combining theory and practical horse-assisted sessions
• Daily schedule: 10:30–16:30
• Individual Format
• Group Format

LEADER. Personal Development Programme for Teenagers

LEADER is a three-day personal development programme designed for teenagers who want to strengthen their confidence, develop leadership skills, and learn how to navigate challenges with resilience, responsibility, and self-awareness.

The programme combines evidence-informed psychological approaches with practical learning experiences and equine-assisted activities. This format enables participants not only to understand how thoughts, emotions, and behaviours interact, but also to practise new skills in real-life situations.

Each training day includes two theoretical and two practical sessions that reinforce one another and create a comprehensive learning experience.

Day 1. My Boundaries and me

Participants learn:

• How to recognise and maintain healthy personal boundaries
• How to say “no” confidently and respectfully
• How to resist peer pressure and make independent decisions
• How confidence, clarity, and consistency influence interactions with others

Practical horse-assisted activities help participants experience leadership, confidence, and clear communication in action.

Day 2. Communication and Influence

Participants explore:

• Principles of healthy and effective communication
• How to express ideas clearly and be heard
• How to respond to conflicts constructively
• Communication styles and behavioural patterns

Practical exercises and horse-assisted activities provide immediate feedback on communication and interpersonal behaviour.

Day 3. The Leader’s Mindset

Participants develop:

• Understanding of stress and its impact on behaviour and decision-making
• Self-regulation and emotional management skills
• Leadership qualities such as responsibility, initiative, and accountability
• Practical strategies used by effective leaders

The final day includes integration activities that help participants consolidate and apply newly acquired skills.

Why Horses?

Interaction with horses helps teenagers:

• Develop greater self-awareness
• Experience the principles of authentic and respectful leadership
• Learn to influence through confidence, consistency, and emotional stability rather than force
• Build genuine confidence through real-world experience and feedback

Expected Outcomes

Participants will:

• Develop essential soft skills for leadership and personal growth
• Improve emotional awareness and self-understanding
• Learn how to maintain healthy boundaries
• Strengthen communication and interpersonal effectiveness
• Acquire practical stress-management and self-regulation skills
• Develop a mindset that supports decision-making, responsibility, and action
• Gain basic horseback riding skills
• Receive a Certificate of Completion
• Build new connections and become part of a supportive peer community

Programme Format

• Individual Programme
• Group Programme

Veterans Psychosocial Support Programme

The SHINE team has been trained and certified in an Australian equine-assisted programme for veterans and their families implemented within the framework of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Programme.

This programme was specifically designed for veterans and military service members, drawing on international experience in supporting individuals affected by combat-related stress and the challenges associated with military service and transition.

A distinctive feature of the programme is the role of horses as active partners in the learning process. Through interaction with horses, participants gain deeper awareness of their emotions, behavioural patterns, communication styles, and interpersonal relationships. Horses provide immediate, non-judgmental feedback, helping participants strengthen trust, self-awareness, and connection with others.

Participants are supported throughout the programme by a multidisciplinary facilitation team that includes IOM-trained facilitators, a veteran peer facilitator, and an equine professional.

Programme Modules

The programme consists of six structured modules:

1. Personal Boundaries. Understanding physical and emotional boundaries and their importance
2. Effective Communication
3. Healthy Relationships
4. Stress Management
5. Problem Solving and Adaptive Coping
6. Transition from Military Service to Civilian Life

What Participants Can Expect

• A safe, supportive, and peer-oriented environment for learning and reflection
• Interaction with horses and observation of equine behaviour as a learning tool
• Practical horse-assisted activities that help participants:
  • Better understand their emotions and behavioural responses
  • Develop healthy boundaries in relationships
  • Strengthen communication and interpersonal effectiveness
  • Build trust, confidence, and self-awareness
• Opportunities for peer connection and shared learning experiences
• Refreshments and informal networking opportunities

Programme Format: Group Programme