Yes, Horse Riding Helps Fibromyalgia, I’ve Seen It Happen With My Own Eyes!

You know, I’ve spent years walking two worlds, medicine and horses. I’m a doctor by education and training, but my heart has always belonged to the stable. For over seven years now, I’ve ridden not just for sport or pleasure, but because of what horses teach me, and what they can give back to others. I’ve seen pain that no pill could touch. I’ve watched people lose hope when doctors said, “There’s nothing we can do.”

And then, quietly, something changed, not through medication, not through surgery, but through rhythm, horse's dynamic movement, and connection with a living creature who doesn’t judge, doesn’t rush, and never pretends to understand. That’s how I found myself building a horse farm management system, writing about equine-assisted therapy and Hippotherapy, and eventually creating tools to help other riders and therapists connect with this healing power.

My name is Hamza, and I’m also the founder of Medevel.com, a space where I share real stories, science-backed insights, and personal experiences from both my medical practice and my life with horses. I also made the equineist.com to help horse owners, riders, and lovers enjoy the bond with these amazing creatures that I believe they are here to heal us. I’ve written a book already on horse riding as a path to emotional balance. The second one? It’s coming soon, this time focused entirely on how riding helps people with chronic conditions like fibromyalgia.

What is Fibromyalgia? What Does this have to do with Horse Riding?

Let me tell you something real: if you’re reading this, you might be struggling. You might feel tired all the time, your body aching in places you can’t even point to. You might wake up feeling worse than you did the night before. You might have been told it’s “all in your head,” or that you’re just stressed. But fibromyalgia isn’t imagined. It’s real. It’s complex. And it’s not just about pain. it’s about fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, sleep disruption, and an overwhelming sense of isolation.

Can Horse Riding Help Patients with Fibromyalgia? Yes, I Have seen it Happen!

And I’m telling you this not from experience with my own body, but from watching someone I love live with it for years. Her name is B (Let's call her that). She’s a close friend. And for more than a decade, she’s carried fibromyalgia like a shadow that never leaves. She wasn’t diagnosed early. Doctors dismissed her at first, “stress,” “anxiety,” “just need to rest more.” But the pain didn’t go away. It grew. It spread. It stole her ability to stand, to walk, to sit without discomfort. Her mornings were agony. Her days felt like battles. Sleep was elusive. She’d cry after standing for ten minutes. She stopped going out. She stopped believing she could ever feel normal again. Then, one day, she reached out to a horse farm and started riding, and started to feel better, yes way better. I didn’t think much of it at first. But I knew horses. I knew my Kuzey, the quiet, steady horse I ride every day. And I knew how much rhythm, presence, and gentle motion could calm a nervous system.

The First Ride!

It wasn’t easy. Her muscles were tight, her mind screaming don’t fall, don’t hurt. But the horse moved with such gentle, consistent rhythm, like a metronome made of muscle and bone. His walk wasn’t random. It wasn’t jerky. It was smooth, repetitive, and deeply grounding.

After just four sessions, she looked at me and said something that still gives me chills: “For the first time in years… I didn’t feel broken.” She didn’t mean she was cured. But she felt present. Alive. Her pain didn’t vanish, but it changed. It became something she could carry instead of something that carried her. She is energetic with less fatigue than before.

How did this happen?

Let me explain what happens when you ride a horse, not just any horse, but one trained for therapeutic work, who feel us, our movements, our pain, and help us heal. When a horse walks, its pelvis moves in a pattern very similar to human walking. That three-dimensional motion, side-to-side, forward-backward, even a little up-down, engages core muscles, stabilizers, and postural control systems in ways few exercises can. It’s not strength training. It’s neuromuscular re-education.

For someone with Fibromyalgia, whose nervous system is hypersensitive, this kind of rhythmic, predictable motion can actually calm the brain. It’s like giving your nervous system a safe, familiar signal: This is okay. You’re supported. You don’t have to brace.

Over time, regular riding helps improve balance, coordination, and muscle tone. But more importantly, it reduces the perception of pain. Studies show that participants in Hippotherapy programs report lower pain levels, better sleep, and improved mood.

"B" wasn’t alone. I’ve worked with over a dozen patients with Fibromyalgia, PTSD, Autism, ADHD, Posture issues, abnormal gait and chronic fatigue. The results aren’t magic, but they’re powerful. And they’re consistent.

Here’s what I’ve seen happen:

• Pain decreases not because the body is stronger, but because the brain learns to interpret signals differently.
• Anxiety drops because the rider feels connected, grounded, and safe.
• Fatigue improves, not because they’re doing more, but because their body isn’t fighting itself anymore.
• Confidence returns. People start believing they can move again.

And yes, I’ve seen some go from crying after standing to jumping over small fences, or riding in a few months.

So what should you do if you or someone you love has fibromyalgia and wants to try horse riding?

Start simple. Don’t rush. This isn’t about competition or performance. It’s about presence.

Step 1: Find a good horse farm

Look for a place that specializes in therapeutic riding or equine-assisted therapy. Not every stable is equipped for this. Ask questions: Do they work with people with chronic pain? Do they train their horses for sensitivity and consistency? Are their staff certified in equine therapy? I created a guide on my website, Equineist.com, for evaluating horse farms. It includes red flags (like loud noises, overcrowding, untrained horses) and green lights (quiet barns, calm horses, trained instructors).

Step 2: Find a good riding instructor

This matters more than you think. A great instructor doesn’t just teach riding, they listen. They watch your body. They adjust the pace. They know when to stop, when to encourage, when to simply sit with you in silence.

Look for someone certified in Adaptive Riding (like PATH International). These professionals understand neurodiversity, chronic illness, and trauma-informed care. They don’t push. They adapt. Sadly, I have been in many local horse farms to find out, they have nothing to do about horses, nor riding and it is all for profits.

So, I have to ask you to find a real place with higher quality standards for both horses and humans before you start.

Step 3: Build a riding routine

Consistency is key. Even 30 minutes once a week can make a difference. Start slow. Focus on breathing, on feeling your seat bones connect with the horse’s back, on noticing how your body responds. Don’t expect miracles. But keep showing up. Over time, your nervous system begins to trust. Your body remembers safety.

I have several patients with inconsistency, i may say without discipline, but yet, they value the riding and the exercises and they always come back to heal.

Step 4: Choose a discipline (optional)

Some people love endurance riding, long, steady rides that build stamina and mental focus. Others enjoy dressage, which teaches precision and grace. Show jumping? Maybe later. But don’t rush into high-intensity disciplines unless you’re ready.

For fibromyalgia, I recommend starting with groundwork and basic walk-trot sessions. Let the rhythm do the work.

And remember, this isn’t about becoming a champion rider. It’s about reconnecting with your body. With joy. With peace.

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Books to Read!

I’ve written about all of this in my book, "The Promise", Which shares some of my insights about horses and my personal experience with my horse, which I believed that I owe him that. I’m currently writing my next book, "Horses and Healing: A Guide for Chronic Conditions", a real, practical guide built on actual patient stories, clinical insights, and the quiet moments when someone finally smiles after months of silence.

It’s not theory, it’s not just hope, it’s what I’ve seen happen: pain eased, confidence restored, lives gently lifted, sometimes by nothing more than the rhythm of a horse’s walk, the warmth of a neck against your chest, or the sound of hooves on soft earth.

This is healing that doesn’t come from a lab, but from connection. From presence. From Kuzey.

What To Do Next?

If you’re sitting there right now thinking, I don’t know if I can do this, I hear you. I’ve been there. I’ve stood at the edge of a stall, scared, unsure, convinced I was too fragile to ride.

But then I remembered: horses don’t care about your diagnosis. They only care about your presence, about your care, your rhythm, and about your connection with them. And I believe that’s enough. And if you’re not ready to ride yet, just walk beside them. Stand near them, Let them nudge your hand, Let him remind you that you’re not alone.

Because in the end, fibromyalgia isn’t just a disease. It’s a story. And hers? It’s not over. It’s just beginning.

With care, Dr. Hamza Mousa