The presentation aims to reveal the essence of Equine Assisted Social Work EASW. Based on the narratives of the staff members and the female-self-harming clients aged 15-21 years in a residential treatment, who agreed and video recordings of the human-horse interactions, the horse ability to read human emotions made the staff and clients aware of their sense of being in the present, both the clients and staff had to regulate their emotions and change behavior rather than avoid the situation or the information. The horse seemed to set the framework for the interaction between the staff and young women. The fact that even the staff could fail in the interaction with the horse , affected the interaction between staff and clients making it more informal and dynamic. A relationship based on empathy, trust, respect and negotiation, where clients shared private matters, resultet in the perception of a more authentic relationship. the essence of EASW were percieved as eased by staff members when they focus on the client´s emotions and help the client understand that the horse is acting in response to the client´s and the staff´s behavior through mentalizing and enacting emotional labor in regarding the horse as a subject.