Logan Village, Queensland

Where the herd
becomes your healer.

Clinically-based, trauma-informed equine facilitated mental health and wellness services — because sometimes the most honest therapist has four legs.

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01 — About

Clinically grounded.
Heart centred.

Stable Hearts provides equine facilitated mental health and wellness services that prioritise inclusivity, quality, and genuine transformation. We work at the intersection of clinical best practice and the ancient, intuitive wisdom of horses.

Our services are designed for individuals, families, schools, and community agencies — offering a safe, non-judgmental space where real healing can unfold at the pace of the horse.

Trauma-Informed Clinically Based Inclusive Practice Research Backed

Location

Logan Village, Queensland, Australia

Man connecting with horse — genuine equine therapy

"Fostering partnerships to meet growing demand while creating healing opportunities for all."

Michelle Skafer — Founder, Stable Hearts

02 — Programs

Every program built
for real transformation.

Equine Facilitated Growth & Learning

From the Inside Out

A research-based EAP curriculum for trauma survivors. Sessions address PTSD, depression, anxiety, grief, anger, and stress through the honest reflections of horses.

Trauma PTSD Anxiety Grief

P.E.A.C.E. Programme

School Group Intervention

Peer-focused equine assisted interventions for school groups, building emotional resilience, connection, and social skills in young people.

Youth Schools Groups

H.E.L.P.

Horse Enhanced Learning Programme

Subsidised trauma recovery for children who cannot self-fund. Because no child should be denied the opportunity to heal.

Children Subsidised Community

Heart of the Herd

Mindfulness & Connection

Rehabilitation focused on connection through mindfulness. Engage with the herd to cultivate presence, self-awareness, and emotional regulation.

Mindfulness Rehabilitation Wellbeing

Holiday Programs

Seasonal Intensives

Structured holiday programs combining riding instruction, horsemanship, and wellness activities for young people and families.

Holidays Youth Family

Riding & Saddle Club

Horsemanship & Community

One-on-one riding instruction and saddle club membership. Develop genuine horsemanship skills in a safe, community-driven environment.

Riding Skills Community

03 — Why Horses

The most honest
therapist has
four legs.

Horses are not just animals — they are mirrors. Their extraordinary sensitivity to human emotional states creates a unique therapeutic dynamic that no other intervention can replicate.

🌿

Masters of Mindfulness

Horses exist fully in the present moment — no past regrets, no future anxieties. Their presence naturally invites humans into the same state of awareness.

🪞

Honest Mirrors

Completely congruent and authentic, horses can't be fooled by our social masks. Their responses reveal our true emotional state with startling accuracy.

🫀

Attuned Sensing

With keen smell, hearing, and body awareness, horses detect subtle emotional shifts that humans — and most therapists — simply miss.

🤝

Non-Judgmental Connection

No hierarchy, no diagnosis, no label. The relationship is purely present-moment and unconditional — exactly what trauma survivors need most.

04 — Partnerships

EquiCentre™ Partnerships

EquiCentre Partners

Horse owners and equestrian businesses provide facilities and animals. Stable Hearts handles referrals, compliance, insurance, and liability — and shares fees with you.

Mental Health Educators

Registered counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers, and natural therapists receive comprehensive training and expert guidance in horse-facilitated practice.

Community Agencies

We collaborate with schools, organisations, and health agencies to bring subsidised equine therapy — including the H.E.L.P. programme — to those who need it most.

05 — Testimonials

Stories of transformation.

My daughter has struggled for years and nothing seemed to help — until Stable Hearts. After just a few sessions she was taking calculated risks, building responsibility, and smiling again.

Parent Queensland Participant

The non-judgmental environment changed everything for my son. The mindfulness piece was something he'd never been able to access before — now he uses it every day.

Caregiver H.E.L.P. Programme Family

The caring relationships formed — between my child and the horses, and with the Stable Hearts team — were transformative. We've seen emotional development we didn't think was possible.

Family Logan Village

06 — Contact