Horse Phobia Therapy in Perth

 A gentle, practical approach to horse phobia

If you experience anxiety, panic, or avoidance around horses (including hippophobia), you’re not alone. Many people want to feel comfortable enough to be near horses—whether for family reasons, rural living, work, sport, or personal growth.

Aligned Living’s approach combines professional facilitation with the calming presence of horses. We work in an outdoor setting and help you practise regulation skills in real time. The focus is not on “toughing it out”, but on creating experiences that support safety, choice, and steady progress.

You do not need prior horse experience, and sessions focus on activities (not riding) with safety protocols in place.

What Horse Phobia Therapy includes

Aligned Living’s Horse Phobia Therapy in Perth is an equine-assisted counselling/learning session. We always tailor sessions to your comfort levels and your goals.

Your session may include:

• A brief pre-session check-in to understand your current triggers, goals, and boundaries

• A safety orientation and clear agreements for how you’ll interact with horses

• Ground-based relational activities (no riding required) designed to build calm and confidence

• Practical nervous-system and body-awareness strategies to use on-site and at home

• Guided reflection to help turn the experience into actionable takeaways

Facilitation and safety

• Trained practitioners lead the sessions. The team includes a trained professional counsellor with extensive experience working with horses.

• Aligned Living’s Perth equine therapy process prioritises safety and personalisation, with structured protocols in place.

How it works

1. Free 15-minute consultation – Share what you’re experiencing and what you want to be able to do (for example: stand near a horse, walk past paddocks, or help your child at pony club).

2. Plan your first session – Choose a 60- or 90-minute session and confirm practical details (timing, what to wear, any medical considerations).

3. Guided, ground-based experience – Your practitioner supports you through activities that respect your pace, using horses as calm, responsive partners in the learning process.

4. Integrate the learning – Leave with strategies you may use in everyday situations, plus optional recommendations for future sessions depending on your goals.

Why choose Aligned Living

• Real-world practice (not just talking): You get supported exposure and skills practice in-the-moment, rather than only discussing fear in a room.

• A calmer, natural environment: Outdoor sessions may feel less clinical and more grounding for many people.

• Personalised pacing: Sessions are tailored to your starting point—whether your horse phobia is mild discomfort or stronger panic responses.

• Horses provide non-verbal feedback: Horses respond to body language and emotional cues, which may support self-awareness and regulation skills.

• Clear safety focus: Aligned Living’s process is built on safety and structured facilitation, so you’re not “figuring it out” alone.

Understanding hippophobia and how therapy may help

Hippophobia is a specific fear of horses that may show up as avoidance, rapid heartbeat, nausea, shaking, tears, or panic—sometimes even when the horse is far away. For some people, the fear is linked to a past incident (such as a fall, being kicked, or seeing an accident). For others, it may be more generalised, tied to the horse’s size, unpredictability, or a loss of control.

Horse phobia treatment Perth options vary, but equine-assisted approaches are distinct because they support learning through experience. In Horse Phobia Therapy in Perth at Aligned Living, the horse is not something you’re forced to “get over”—it becomes part of a carefully managed learning environment where you stay in choice. The session is structured to prioritise safety and personal pacing, often using ground-based activities and calm coaching to help you practise regulation strategies while you remain close to (or gradually closer to) horses.

Over time, guided experiences like this may help reduce avoidance, build confidence, and create new associations—so being near horses feels more manageable and less threatening.

What to expect in your first horse therapy session in Perth

Starting horse therapy Perth sessions for phobias can feel like a big step—especially if you’ve been avoiding horses for years. Your first session at Aligned Living is designed to be supportive and structured, not overwhelming.

You’ll typically begin with a brief conversation about your goals and what “success” looks like for you (for example: staying present near a paddock, walking calmly past a horse, or helping your child at a riding event). From there, your practitioner explains the safety approach and helps you choose clear boundaries—such as how close you want to be, where you’ll stand, and what you’ll do if anxiety rises.

The horse interaction is usually ground-based, and you may start simply by observing from a comfortable distance. As you feel ready, activities may involve gentle relational tasks that help you practise calm breathing, body awareness, and clear communication. The horse’s responses provide immediate, non-judgemental feedback—helping you notice what supports steadiness and what increases tension.

By the end, you’ll generally review what you noticed, what helped, and which next step makes sense—so your plan feels achievable, not daunting.

Horse Therapy Phobia FAQs

Ready to start?

If you’re looking for Horse Phobia Therapy in Perth, Aligned Living offers a supportive, practical pathway to feeling safer and more confident around horses—at your pace, with professional guidance.