Organizational History & Program Overview
Horse Time was founded in 1996 by a group of individuals
committed to the belief that horse-human interactions can
provide the basis for uniquely effective mental health
treatment. The program opened August 18, 1997 on the
grounds of Falconwood Farm, owned and operated by the
Faulkner family, in Covington, Georgia. 501 (c ) 3
nonprofit status was attained in early 1998. Since that
time, Horse Time has served hundreds of children,
adolescents, and adults with a variety of psychosocial and
behavioral challenges. Our clients have come to us through
residential treatment programs, day treatment programs,
mental health centers, pediatrician?s offices, schools,
and self-referral throughout the Greater Atlanta area.
While an equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) session
may look just like a typical riding lesson, the two are
very different. A client participating in EFP is working
on the achievement of measurable psychosocial and
behavioral goals specified in their treatment plan. The
sessions are facilitated by a licensed, credentialed
mental health professional and specially trained
assistants as needed. Working with the horses is a special
tool utilized by these trained therapists to meet the
needs of clients desiring and/or needing an experiential
treatment approach.
Special needs served at Horse Time have included
cerebral palsy, acquired brain injuries, Chronic Fatigue
Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, Down?s Syndrome, Fragile X
syndrome, and a variety of other developmental, anxiety,
behavioral, mood, psychotic, and substance abuse
disorders. Additionally, we have worked with clients with
gender identity issues, abuse histories, and eating
disorders. Typically, the youngest age we can work with in
psychotherapy is 4 years old, with therapeutic riding
generally requiring participants who are at least 5 or 6
years old. There is no age maximum.
Horse Time is a member of PATH, the
Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship
International. Our instructors are certified by PATH, and
our therapists are all licensed and credentialed to
independently practice in the state of Georgia.
Precautions and Contraindications for EFP
(psychotherapy)
While equine-facilitated psychotherapy is not
appropriate for everyone, there are a wide variety of
psychosocial needs and mental health disorders that are
amenable to this type of treatment. Horse Time follows the
guidelines of the Professional Association of Therapeutic
Horsemanship International, which state that certain
conditions preclude safe participation in equine
experiences and that others must be handled with caution.
To that end, clients who are dangerous to themselves or
others are not appropriate for participation. Similarly,
clients who are experiencing perceptual impairment (such
as severe psychosis or dissociation) or intoxication may
not participate. Horse Time screens for a number of
medical conditions such as severe, uncontrolled seizures
that preclude safe participation and performs a thorough
intake assessment to ensure that we can help clients
achieve clinical goals. Because it is an experiential
program that operates part-time at a horse farm, Horse
Time is not appropriate as a primary mental health
resource for clients in crisis and requiring 24-hour
access to care.
