Recovery Programs
RECOVERY THROUGH CONNECTION
Recovery is about learning to trust again - yourself, other people, and the possibility that life can be different.
Horses have an extraordinary way of meeting people exactly where they are. They do not judge the past, respond to titles or diagnoses, or care about the mistakes someone has made. They respond to what is happening in the present: body language, intention, consistency, patience and trust.
At Rising Phoenix, rescued horses and people in recovery come together in a place where both understand something about starting over.
EQUINE-ASSISTED RECOVERY
Our equine-assisted recovery programs give participants an opportunity to step outside the traditional treatment environment and experience connection in a completely different way.
Working from the ground, participants interact with our rescued horses through grooming, leading, observation and relationship-building activities. No riding experience is necessary.
The horses provide immediate, honest feedback. Participants have the opportunities to practice patience, boundaries, communication, emotional regulation and trust - skills that translate directly into recovery and everyday life.
The goal is not to learn how to work with a horse. The goal is to discover something about yourself while working with one.
FOR TREATMENT & RECOVERY PROGRAMS
Rising Phoenix partners with treatment centers, recovery programs, sober living communities, and other organizations seeking meaningful experiential opportunities for their clients.
Programs can be tailored to the needs of each group, creating a safe and supportive environment where participants can step away from the clinical setting and engage with the horses - and with one another - in a different way.
Sessions may include groundwork, grooming, leading, observation, horsemanship activities, and facilitated opportunities for reflection and discussion. No previous horse experience is required, and riding is not necessary to benefit from the experience.
Our goal is to complement the work already taking place in treatment by creating experiences that participants can carry back with them into their ongoing recovery.
WHY HORSES?
Horses live in the present. They respond to what we bring to them in the moment - not our history, our diagnosis, or the story we tell about ourselves.
As prey animals, horses are remarkably sensitive to body language, energy, consistency, and intention. Building a relationship with a horse requires many of the same skills that recovery asks us to develop: patience, honesty, boundaries, communication, emotional awareness, and trust.
Our rescued horses bring another dimension to that connection. Many have experienced fear, uncertainty, loss, or dramatic changes in their own lives. They cannot tell us their stories with words, but they can learn to trust again.
And when a person in recovery earns the trust of a thousand-pound animal who has every reason to be cautious, something powerful can happen:
They begin to see that trust can be rebuilt. That connection is possible. And that a difficult past does not have to determine what comes next.
PARTNER WITH RISING PHOENIX
Bring the healing power of horses into your recovery program.
Whether you represent a treatment center, sober living community, recovery program, or other organization, we’d love to talk with you about creating an experience for your clients.
Tell us a little about your program and what you’re looking for, and we’ll be in touch.