Social Inclusion through Equine-Assisted Intervention
Structured socio-educational programmes for at-risk youth, individuals in social exclusion and vulnerable families in South Tenerife. Referral-based access, no prior equestrian experience required.
About the programme
Horses are unusually effective in reaching people who have learned to distrust conventional social and educational contexts. An animal does not judge, does not carry institutional weight, and responds directly to how a person behaves — not to who they are supposed to be. This is the starting point of our social inclusion programme in Arona Sur, South Tenerife.
The programme operates through equine-assisted socio-educational intervention (EASI): structured activities with and around horses designed to develop social skills, emotional regulation, self-efficacy and trust in relationships. It is not therapy in the conventional sense — it is education through experience, in a setting that most participants find genuinely engaging.
Access is primarily through referral by municipal social services, educational institutions and third-sector organisations in the south of Tenerife. We work in coordination with referring professionals throughout the process. Private referrals are also accepted when appropriate.
For social service professionals: we provide structured admission documentation, progress reports at agreed intervals and a final outcome report per participant. Contact info@riendasdeesperanza.org to discuss a referral.
Who is this programme for?
What happens in a session?
Sessions are group-based (typically 4–8 participants) and last 90 minutes. They are deliberately informal in structure while following a consistent arc. The horse is always present, but participants spend as much time working alongside the horse on the ground as they do in the saddle — sometimes more.
A brief, structured group moment at the start. Participants share how they are and what they are expecting. The facilitator reads the group and adapts the session.
Grooming, leading and preparing the horse. These practical tasks carry significant relational and regulatory value: they require calm, attention and responsibility.
Structured exercises with clear objectives — navigating the horse through obstacles, working as a team, problem-solving. The horse responds honestly to each participant's approach.
Riding activities are integrated where relevant and appropriate. Not every session includes mounted work, and this is never presented as the goal.
A brief closing circle. Participants name what they noticed — about themselves, about the horse, about each other. The facilitator anchors learnings to real-life situations.
What the research shows
Equine-assisted social and educational work has a growing evidence base. The outcomes most consistently reported in structured programmes include:
Improved capacity to establish and maintain relationships, resolve conflict and work within a group — skills transferable to school, work and family contexts.
Reduced impulsivity and reactivity. Horses respond to emotional states in real time, making the link between inner experience and external behaviour tangible and immediate.
The experience of successfully managing a large animal builds genuine confidence — not praise-based self-esteem, but competence earned through effort and care.
Participants who have disengaged from school or social programmes often attend equine-based interventions consistently. The setting is genuinely motivating.
Regular involvement with animal care introduces structure and responsibility that generalises to other areas of life.
Related pages
- → Hippotherapy — specialist equine-assisted therapy for people with disabilities
- → Activities and Workshops — one-off or short-series sessions for schools and organisations
- → Support the programme — fund a place for someone who cannot self-refer