What Is Equestrian Therapy? What Is Equestrian Therapy. Equestrian therapy or equine therapy or equineassisted therapy is a form of therapy that makes use of horses to help promote emotional growth in individuals with disabilities. Equestrian therapy is typically employed in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD anxiety autism dementia delay in mental development down syndrome and other genetic syndromes various types of depression trauma and brain injuries behavior and abuse issues and other mental health issues. In many instances riders with disabilities have proven their remarkable equestrian skills in various national and international competitions.