The equine is a critically important, sentient partner in the four-part team consisting of the equine, a mental health professional or educator, an equine specialist and a client. It is important that the horse is considered a full partner within these sessions, protected from harm and not placed or staged in an environment that could elicit a fear or stress response in hopes of benefitting the client. This philosophy is very important for the center to implement as a whole to ensure that clients are not witnessing horses experiencing undue harm or stress, as well as to ensure quality care, emotional, and physical well-being of the program horses.