THERAPY sessions involving horses developed by Mike Delaney in Coleford have won backing from the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Mike practises Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy at his LEAP Equine Therapeutic Centre in Lords Hill.

BACP is now endorsing the training, designed to guide professional counsellors and psychotherapists in employing horses to treat a variety of serious disorders.

Once viewed as an unproven therapy, the evidence increasingly shows that horses have a logical place in the treatment of mental health issues.

Leigh Shambo, a leading licensed clinical counsellor in the US and one of the instructors in the programme, said: "Horses respond noticeably to human emotions. Through specially designed activities with horses, clients learn to work positively with emotions."

In 2006 She conducted the first formal study of patients suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and their long term response to equine facilitated therapy. She found that because horses sense autonomic arousal they are uniquely able to respond to and support those healing from trauma and other serious disorders.

Mike Delaney has treated over 700 patients in the last five years with this versatile therapy. Clients include adults with substance and relationship issues, youth and adults with learning disabilities, young people with sexually harmful behaviour, and London Underground staff following the July 2005 Tube bombings.