We all get stressed out from time to time, some more so than others. Whether it’s the stress of raising kids, a hectic job, traffic, finances, the list goes on. Life isn’t always worry-free.

At Tip Hero, we’ve seen quite a few great relaxation and stress-relief techniques, but we’re always open to new ideas. What works for one person may not work for someone else, after all.

If you’re still searching for a great way to relieve stress, you might want to consider cuddling with cows.

For real though.

Mountain Horse Farm in Naples, NY has a full Cow Cuddling experience, or you can even upgrade to a Horse & Cow experience.

The Cow Cuddling session includes time brushing, cuddling and just plain hanging out with the farm’s cows. Why? According to Mountain Horse Farm, “it can bring relaxation, healing, awareness about your body language, comfort, Mindfulness, build assertiveness, help with overcoming fear, build confidence, lets you be playful and teaches you to set boundaries.”

Not up for cuddling with 1000+ pound animals? You can cuddle with miniature horses instead. You get to play with, pet and brush the mini horses. Does it relieve stress? We can’t verify that, but it certainly sounds like fun!

For the full experience though, you’d need to book the Horse & Cow experience. This experience starts with breathing exercises at the “Gathering Tipi.” Then it’s on to cuddle with the horses and cows. It’s up to you how you spend your time with the animals. The horses and cows will “sense if you are happy, sad, feel lost, anxious or are excited and they will respond to that without judgement, ego or agenda.”

These animal cuddling sessions don’t come cheap, but you can split the cost with a friend or 3. The horse and cow experience is $300 for 2 people or $395 for 4. It would definitely be a unique date or family bonding experience.

While cuddling with farm animals may sound strange, animal-assisted therapy isn’t a new thing. According to Psychology Today, there have been 49 studies where animal-assisted therapy has been proven to have a positive impact on people with autism, addition, depression, and other medical conditions.

Many horse owners describe their animals as being “therapeutic.” Equine-assisted therapy has also been shown to help people improve in areas like assertiveness, empathy and stress tolerance, and it has been successfully used to treat conditions ranging from ADD/ADHD to grief and depression.

Even if you don’t have a specific issue like stress or depression that you’re trying to treat, the horse and cow experience is available to anyone who wants to enjoy this unique experience.

To watch cow cuddling in action, check out the video below.

Are you going to try cow cuddling? What other stress relief techniques work well for you?