Anyone who has worked with horses can tell you it can have many therapeutic benefits.

Not just riding them, but simply by being with them.

At Fredericton's Freedom Reins, there’s no shortage of foals and friends were rescued horses are helping to provide equine-assisted learning.

“It's a skills development based program,” said Kristi St-Hilaire, Freedom Reins owner and facilitator. “You'll come in and you can learn basically any type of life skill that can be transferred between the horse and back to your everyday life.”

St-Hilaire, who also founded Freedom Reins, has been around horses all her life,

She travelled to Woodstock, Ont., for her equine therapeutic training.

“She said she was going to go do her dream job,” said Lilianne St-Hilaire, Kristi's daughter and equine-assisted learning (EAL) assistant.

Liliane helps her mom teach EAL, which is based on working with horses without riding them.

Instead, it includes grooming, walking, and learning to communicate with these animals, many of which used to race or compete.

As a result, the students are not as tense, Lilianne said.

“Because being on top of the horse is kind of scary, especially when they're tall,” she said.

For those dealing with social anxiety or PTSD, participating in an equine-assisted learning program can help build confidence and social skills.

“Horses are so calming, and they really mirror back what you are feeling at that time,” said Kristi. “Horses always live right in the now.”

The program is helping participants, like 16-year-old Olivia Toner, gain self-awareness that has helped her overcome anxiety.

“Me being upset is not a thing when I'm around horses, because it just takes everything away and takes you to a different world,” Toner said. “Some people think that horses wouldn't do it, but it does.”

Lori Toner is Olivia's mother has noticed how much it helps.

“When they go to the horse barns and talk to the horses, it just really helps,” she said. “Especially when your children are going through things that they can't seem to talk to other people about.”

At Freedom Reins, development of one's sense of self is the mane event.

“I'm hoping that they can come out - learn to trust, learn to build relationships, learn to talk with people. Even just to communicate with themselves,” Kristi St-Hilaire said.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jessica Ng.