Trauma Healing Through Connection with Horses
At Waterford Equine-Assisted Healing, we help survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and trauma rebuild safety and trust through the calm, grounded presence of horses.
Located near Sussex, New Brunswick, our trauma-informed sessions are guided by licensed mental health professionals and certified equine facilitators in a peaceful, natural setting.
This isn't traditional talk therapy where you sit in an office recounting your story. Instead, you'll work alongside horses to reconnect with your body, practice what safety feels like, and heal at your own pace.
We offer a grounded, compassionate space where healing happens through connection, not words.
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Our Story
Before the Horses
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Trauma Healing Through Connection with Horses
Before this place had a name, there was just quiet work, mucking stalls, filling water buckets, standing in fields with horses who didn't ask for words. At the time, I didn't realize it was healing. I was just trying to breathe again.
My name is Raja, and I'm a survivor, the kind whose pain hides in silence and hypervigilance, whose nervous system never fully rests.
The horses met me there, in that stillness. They didn't demand eye contact or explanations. They simply offered presence, curiosity, and breath.
Meeting Harley
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And then came Harley.
He didn't come looking for love.
He was shut down, not angry, not scared. Just... gone.
He didn't react or connect. He kept his distance, not with drama, but with detachment.
Something in me recognized that.
Some trauma doesn't roar, it freezes. It fawns. It flattens.
It hides behind quiet eyes and steady routines.
Traditional training methods would have broken what little trust he had left.
So instead of trying to "fix" him, I started searching for another way.
A Different Way Forward
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That search led me to Warwick Schiller,
whose approach of connection before correction opened a door.
As I began learning more about how the body responds to stress and safety, everything started to make sense.
I discovered that horses have a nervous system remarkably similar to ours, but they're often better at finding their way back to calm. When a horse returns to balance, it naturally invites the person beside it to do the same.
What began as an effort to help Harley heal became the very thing that helped me heal, too.
The same principles that rebuilt his trust, safety, consent, curiosity, and connection — are the same ones that restore us.
In this work, horses become mirrors and partners in the story of healing. They reflect what's happening inside us and offer the safety we need to find new ways of relating to them, to others, and to ourselves.
His healing became a mirror for mine.
Why We’re Here
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That's how Waterford Equine-Assisted Healing Inc. was born.
A place where survivors of trauma can be met not with pressure, but with presence.
Where healing happens through relationships with horses, with the land, and with ourselves.
We're building this one partnership, one session, and one story at a time.
For the ones who've gone quiet. For the ones who never got to rest.
Harley's here. And he gets it.
And so do we.
Our Impact
Our Impact
Healing happens in four key ways: through your nervous system, through relationship, through your body, and through reclaiming your voice.
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Finding Calm in Your Body
Horses' calm presence helps regulate your nervous system. In their stillness, you can practice slowing down, noticing your breath, and finding rest.
Rebuilding Trust and Safety
Horses are honest. They don't judge, demand, or pressure. Through gentle connection, you'll learn to set boundaries and experience what safe relationship feels like.
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Reconnecting with Your Body
You won't need to explain yourself. Horses respond to presence, not words. You'll practice being grounded in your body, noticing what safety feels like, and moving at your own pace.
Reclaiming Your Voice
In this work, you have choice. You decide what feels right, when to engage, and when to step back. Healing happens when you're empowered, not controlled.
Research shows equine-assisted therapy supports nervous system regulation, trauma recovery, and empowerment.
Meet Our Horses
Each horse at Waterford Equine-Assisted Healing brings a unique personality and energy to our sessions. They’re not tools, they’re partners. Learning to connect with them teaches us about boundaries, trust, communication, and presence.
Harley
Harley is quiet, sensitive, and deeply intuitive. Once withdrawn, he now connects through softness and presence. When he chooses to engage, it’s honest and powerful.Working with Harley teaches clients about honoring their own pace and the power of choosing connection.
Chester
Chester is sensitive and shy when meeting someone new. He takes time to warm up, but once he trusts you, he’s incredibly responsive. Working with Chester helps clients practice patience, consistency, and emotional regulation.
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Ginny
Ginny is a big personality in a compact body, stubborn, curious, and very food-motivated. She adores scratches and isn’t shy about asking for them. Ginny invites clients to practice assertiveness, persistence, and the joy of connection.
Esmée
Esmee is calm, gentle, and loves to be part of the work. She’s attuned and dependable, offering a quiet presence that puts people at ease. Many clients feel safe and grounded in her company.
What We Offer
At Waterford Equine-Assisted Healing, we provide individualized, evidence-based healing with horses, creating safe, consent-based experiences that support people’s healing while respecting the well-being of the animals.
Each session is guided by a licensed equine-assisted mental health professional and supported by a trained equine facilitator in a quiet, natural setting.
Our approach is consent-based and client-led; there are no tasks or expectations.
Each session begins with choice. Clients are invited to connect with the horses in ways that feel safe and authentic, whether through quiet presence and body awareness or gentle reflection and storytelling. Healing unfolds naturally through curiosity, co-regulation, and connection.
We’re committed to accessibility.
Through community funding and partnerships, we offer a limited number of subsidized or reduced-cost sessions for individuals who have experienced trauma or face financial barriers.
Private and insurance-covered sessions are also available.
Each session offers space to:
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Reconnect with a sense of safety and grounding
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Explore nervous-system regulation and emotional awareness
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Build trust, boundaries, and self-compassion
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Experience the quiet, healing power of connection, with the horses, the land, and yourself
Launching Spring 2026
We're currently finalizing partnerships and preparing to welcome our first clients.
Interested in learning more or being notified when we open?
