Equine
Assisted Activities & Therapies
Bridle Paths offers strength, support, and healing to our clients through safe, effective, and high-quality equine-assisted activities and therapies. We provide therapeutic horseback riding instruction and equine-assisted psychotherapy services to individuals and families faced with physical, cognitive, psychological, and emotional needs.
The program serves those with a wide variety of needs and diagnoses, including ADHD, cognitive impairments, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety and depression, genetic problems, seizure disorders, and physical and sexual abuse. Our staff has particular experience in working with children and families coping with the challenges of a special needs diagnosis, and with at-risk adolescents and young adults and their families.
At Bridle Paths, we focus on clients’ abilities and possibilities, in partnership with horses. The movement of the horse’s body stimulates normal human body movement, which helps riders to improve their physical balance, coordination, and motor planning skills.
Horses are herd animals, and their interactions and communications are powerful metaphors for human relationships and interactions. By working with horses, clients develop tools to improve behavior, communication, boundary setting, and problem solving. By influencing the movement and behavior of horses, clients achieve growth in self-esteem, confidence, calm, and focus.
Our facility is located in McLean, Virginia, convenient to Northern Virginia,
Maryland, and Washington, DC. Bridle Paths is a member of the Professional
Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International, the Therapeutic
Riding Association of Virginia (TRAV) and the Equine Assisted Growth and
Learning Association (EAGALA), and our staff members are certified by PATH
and EAGALA.
