Equine-assisted coaching · Phoenix area
Equine-Assisted Coaching in Phoenix
Horses respond to what you feel, not what you say. Equine-assisted coaching uses that honest, real-time feedback to build presence, confidence, emotion regulation and leadership, guided by a coach with over a decade of clinical expertise who is also a lifelong equestrian.
- Who
- Leaders, founders, athletes, parents & high achievers
- Where
- Phoenix office or Zoom, nationwide
- Format
- Private 1:1 sessions
- Investment
- From $250/hour, private pay
- First step
- Short application + strategy call
What is equine-assisted coaching?
Coaching that happens beside a horse
Equine-assisted coaching is experiential: you learn by doing, noticing and feeling, not only by talking.
Horses are prey animals, finely tuned to the emotional state of the people around them. When you're tense, distracted or guarded, a horse notices immediately. When you become calm, clear and present, the horse responds to that too. That instant feedback makes your patterns visible in a way that's hard to see in an office, and gives you a living, breathing way to practice something new.
Equine-assisted coaching is led by Alexandra Mackey, MA, LPC, CMNCS, a coach and Certified Equine-Assisted Psychotherapist with over a decade of clinical training and expertise. Alexandra is a competitive adult amateur hunter/jumper equestrian, so she brings both a deep understanding of people and a practical understanding of horses to every session.
Who it's for
Equine-assisted coaching can help you build
- Leadership presence: calm, clear energy that others want to follow
- Emotion regulation and nervous system awareness in real time
- Confidence, boundaries and assertive communication
- Trust and connection in your relationships
- Composure under pressure for athletes and performers
- A reset for burned-out high achievers who need to get out of their heads
- Safety, trust and reconnection after trauma, alongside your therapy
Equine-assisted work & leadership
Why leaders learn so much from a horse
You can't fake presence with a horse. Titles, talking points and charm don't work. What works is calm, clear, congruent leadership, and the horse tells you instantly whether you have it.
That makes horses remarkable teachers for executives, founders and managers. In a single session, leaders see how their energy, body language and emotional state affect others, then practice adjusting in real time until the horse willingly follows. The lessons carry straight back to the boardroom, the team meeting and the dinner table.
What the research shows
- A 2025 study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science interviewed leaders about a year after they completed a five-day equine-assisted leadership program. They described lasting shifts in three areas: embodied self-awareness and leadership reflection, behavioral change, and relational, trust-based leadership with their teams. Leaders reported becoming calmer, more patient, better listeners and more aware of their nonverbal presence.
- The University of Kentucky's Equine Guided Leadership Education program has been studied with hospital nurse leaders as a way to build the four core emotional intelligence competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
- A study of 32 participants in that leadership workshop (Eastern Kentucky University) concluded that equine-assisted learning may be an effective way to develop emotional intelligence, particularly self-awareness and social awareness, regardless of age, gender or prior experience with horses.
Research in this area is still growing and many studies are small, but the findings consistently point to the same skills at the heart of Alexandra's coaching: self-awareness, emotion regulation, presence and trust. Equine-assisted sessions are also available for leadership teams as part of retreats and offsites.
Equine-assisted work & trauma
A powerful fit for people living with trauma or PTSD
Trauma lives in the body and the nervous system, not just in memory. That's why working beside a horse can reach places talking alone sometimes can't.
People who have experienced trauma often carry a nervous system that stays on high alert, along with struggles around trust, safety and connection. Horses face the same core questions. As prey animals, they are constantly reading their environment for safety, and they only relax and connect once trust is earned. Building that trust with a horse, calmly and without force, becomes a living practice in feeling safe, staying present and reconnecting with others.
What the research shows
- Columbia University's Man O' War Project studied 63 military veterans with PTSD who completed eight weekly 90-minute sessions of equine-assisted therapy, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. More than half showed a marked reduction in PTSD and depression symptoms after the program, and the gains held at a three-month follow-up. The researchers noted that PTSD survivors and horses share the same preoccupation with trust and safety, and that the work helped participants relearn how to recognize their feelings, regulate emotions and communicate.
- A 2023 systematic review in Frontiers in Psychiatry examined 10 studies of equine-assisted interventions for veterans with PTSD and found beneficial psychological effects, including reductions in PTSD and depression symptoms and gains in emotion regulation, nonverbal communication and trust. The authors also note that many studies were small and call for more research.
Alexandra is a Certified Equine-Assisted Psychotherapist with advanced trauma and EMDRIA training, so she understands trauma deeply and paces each session to keep you grounded and in control. Equine-assisted coaching focuses on regulation, presence, confidence and reconnection, and it works beautifully alongside trauma therapy.
Equine-assisted coaching is not a substitute for trauma treatment. The research above studied equine-assisted therapy led by mental health professionals. If you're living with PTSD, we recommend working with a licensed therapist as well. Arizona residents can explore trauma therapy and EMDR with our team.
What a session looks like
An experience, not an appointment
Every session takes place entirely on the ground. There's no riding, and you don't need any experience with horses.
Sessions are co-facilitated by Alexandra, your coach, and an equine specialist, so you're supported emotionally and the horses are cared for every step of the way. It's an experience where you get to learn by doing: notice how you show up, practice something new in real time and feel the difference immediately, with a partner who gives you honest feedback without saying a word.
Grounding
Arrive in your body: notice your breath, your tension and your surroundings.
Ground activities
Observing, approaching, grooming or leading a horse, each chosen to explore a goal you set together.
Reflection & action
Connect what you noticed to your leadership, relationships and goals, and leave with specific actions to practice.
Why horses
Presence you can feel
Horses mirror the nervous system. A calm, regulated person invites a horse to relax; an anxious or forceful one makes it alert. Practicing calm, clear presence with a 1,000-pound partner builds confidence and leadership you can feel, and it carries straight into the boardroom, the competition arena and your home.
Equine-assisted coaching pairs naturally with leadership coaching, emotional performance coaching and breathwork.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to ride?
No. Equine-assisted coaching is done entirely on the ground. There's no riding, and no experience with horses is needed.
Who leads the sessions?
Sessions are co-facilitated by Alexandra Mackey, your coach, and an equine specialist, who keeps both you and the horses safe and supported.
Where do sessions take place?
Sessions take place at an equestrian facility in the Phoenix area. Details are shared after your application and strategy call.
Is equine-assisted coaching good for leaders?
Yes. Horses respond to presence, body language and emotional state rather than titles or words, so leaders get honest, immediate feedback. Research on equine-assisted leadership programs reports gains in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, listening and trust-based leadership.
Can equine-assisted coaching help with trauma or PTSD?
Research on equine-assisted therapy, including a Columbia University study of veterans with PTSD, shows meaningful reductions in PTSD and depression symptoms. Equine-assisted coaching draws on the same strengths (safety, trust, nervous system regulation and presence) and works well alongside trauma therapy. It is not a substitute for trauma treatment.
Is equine-assisted coaching therapy?
No. It's coaching: forward-focused and action-oriented. It does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions.
How much does equine-assisted coaching cost?
Coaching with Alexandra starts at $250 per hour. Equine-assisted sessions are discussed on your strategy call.
Keep exploring
Next step
Ready to expand what you can handle?
Coaching with Alexandra starts at $250/hour, with limited availability. Virtual nationwide or in person in Phoenix. Apply in about two minutes, and Alexandra will respond within a few hours.