Children with disabilities find joy and support through horse therapy in
Taiwan
[February 02, 2026]
By TAIJING WU
TAOYUAN, Taiwan (AP) — The young woman smiles widely as she prepares to
get on the horse for her weekly ride. She laughs as the horse takes its
first steps.
“The first time she got on a horse, she was happy,” said Hector Chen of
their initial visit. His daughter, Chen You-ching, was diagnosed with
cerebral palsy more than 16 years ago. Since then, he has brought the
now 18-year-old to horse therapy.
At the Therapeutic Riding Center of Taiwan in Taoyuan, a city in the
island’s northern region, children with cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD and
other conditions find companionship and therapy through riding and
interacting with horses.
Animal-assisted therapy is gaining popularity across the world, whether
it’s working with children with intellectual disabilities or veterans
dealing with trauma.
Abigail Liu said her 5-year old daughter has benefited from the therapy
immensely. Her daughter, Ayah, has Angelman Syndrome, a rare genetic
disorder that causes delayed development.
She said her daughter "started to be less scared about things she
doesn’t know and is willing to try (new things). All this started after
she rode horses here.”
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Chen You-ching mounts a horse with help of a physical therapist
during an equine-assisted therapy course at the Therapeutic Riding
Centre in Taoyuan in northern Taiwan on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP
Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
 The horses need special training to
deal with the movements of a child or to stay calm when multiple
people surround it, said Chan Shu-ya, a horse therapist.
Sometimes, the children just want to hug a horse for a long time or
listen to its heartbeat. The horses will stand still with them.
“They feel very at ease, because the horse doesn't
show annoyance even if they keep talking to it," said Alain Chang,
who works at the Fang Hsing-Chung Social Welfare Foundation for
Horses in Education and Health as a horse riding coach. "For them to
come here to touch them, to observe them or even to hug them, this
is a very special experience.”
“Many of these students that I meet they look forward to coming to
this every week, rain or shine,” he said.
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