How Much Does Equine Therapy in Adelaide Cost in 2025? -

Quick answer: Equine therapy at Heartfelt Support costs $261.55 per hour under the NDIS (2024-25 rates), combining the allied health therapist rate (

93.99/hr) with a mandatory safety officer ($67.56/hr). Private clients pay the same rates plus GST, bringing the combined session rate to approximately $287.71 per hour.

There’s plenty of information about equine therapy on our site and elsewhere, but the question most people actually want answered is: how much does it cost?

At Heartfelt Support, we offer a range of equine therapy and horse-centred wellbeing options. We’re going to walk through each one clearly. We also pride ourselves on hiring the best team members we can find and paying them well, so we can be upfront about how our pricing works and why costs look the way they do.

Want to understand how equine therapy fits into your NDIS plan first? Read our complete guide to equine therapy and the NDIS.

NDIS pricing for equine therapy

If you’re on the NDIS, the scheme sets a maximum hourly therapy rate that covers all allied health therapists, including equine therapists, art therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. This rate reflects the cost of qualified professionals who have undertaken years of study and provide all required materials.

Our equine therapy sessions also include a dedicated safety officer — a support worker who is there to ensure you, your therapist, and the horses are safe. This person is charged at the published NDIS support worker rate.

Note on NDIS pricing: NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits are reviewed and updated annually, typically on 1 July each year. The rates below reflect the 2024-25 schedule. Visit the NDIS website for the most current rates.

Component	Rate (2024-25)
Allied health therapist (equine therapy)	$193.99 / hr
Safety officer (support worker)	$67.56 / hr
Typical combined session rate	$261.55 / hr

Many providers who offer equine therapy structure their pricing in a similar way. The combined rate reflects the genuine cost of running safe, qualified sessions.

Why would someone charge more?

Some providers charge the animal-assisted therapy rate, which may differ from the standard allied health rate. Others may simply charge what they choose — providers can set their own prices, and if they charge above the NDIS rate, you would need to pay the difference out of pocket. We don’t charge any hidden or out-of-pocket expenses beyond what your plan covers.

Why would someone charge less?

If a provider does not have suitably qualified staff, the sessions cannot technically be claimed as therapy, so they may be charged at a lower rate (such as a counselling or support work rate). Some providers also offer non-therapeutic equine programs — we do this too, and those sessions are priced accordingly.

Not on the NDIS?

We believe a disability shouldn’t mean paying more or less for the same quality of service. For private clients, we charge the same professional rate as the NDIS, with GST (10%) added, bringing the combined session rate to approximately $287.71.

For clients with a Centrelink or DVA concession card, we contribute the value of the GST on your behalf, reducing the out-of-pocket cost to the NDIS rate equivalent. We also have a partial scholarship scheme available for low-income working families — please ask us about this when you get in touch.

Therapeutic vs non-therapeutic sessions

We offer both therapeutic equine programs (led by qualified therapists) and our Horse-Centred Wellbeing sessions, which are relaxed, goal-oriented interactions with horses that don’t require a therapy qualification. The two are priced differently, and either may be right for you depending on your plan and what you’re hoping to achieve.

Want to talk through what’s right for your situation? Contact us — we’re always happy to help.