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EQUINE ENABLED APPROACHES course

LEVEL 1 Module 1:

Horses in therapy and learning – an overview of models, approaches and research

Document Number:EEE0001

Version Number:04

Date Created:19/02/15 Date Last Revised:29.08.2024 by Ailsa Page

Our course on Equine Assisted Therapy, Coaching, Teaching offers a comprehensive introduction to the unique and effective approach of utilizing horses in therapeutic, coaching, and teaching settings. Participants will learn about the history and principles of equine-assisted practices, as well as the various techniques and methodologies used in this field.

The course will cover topics such as building rapport with horses, understanding equine behavior, developing effective communication skills, and creating therapeutic activities and lesson plans. Participants will also have the opportunity to observe and practice hands-on activities with horses to deepen their understanding of how equine-assisted interventions can benefit clients and students.

During your course you must log 30 hours of direct work

Write or record where you did the work and, in general terms (maintaining confidentiality), who was present and the horse or horses that helped

What sort of session was it, therapy, therapeutic horsemanship, education or coaching?

What happened ie what were the aims of the session, what physically happened- beginning, middle, end

Reflection- what did you learn, what worked well, what would you do differently next time, what were the high points, what things were not so good, how do you think it felt for you, the horse and the other people involved

Ask your supervisor(another equine professional working in your centre) to countersign your log for that date and date it.

Secondly you need to write a project of learning and development for a horse in which you may select a skill or set of skills to train a horse in or en environmental change you will make for the horses in your care or the centre where you work or volunteer.

The project will include.

1. why you chose this area of work
2. what were your aims and objectives
3. what research is there that supports this - can be examples from other sessions or even from working with other animals in therapy, teaching, training or supporting humans
4. your design, e.g. how you determined which skills to teach or which environmental changes to make and exactly the methods you used to do this
5. a description of what happened including any changes you made as you went along
6. your results
7. how you analysed and assessed progress along the way
8. how you assessed your results
9. a discussion of what you would do (the same and/or different) if you were to repeat the project and further research you think might help in refining what you did.

Include video footage or still pictures as appropriate and with faces blurred if confidentiality is an issue in your photographs.

Key Lesson Concepts:

• Overview of equine-assisted therapy, coaching, teaching, therapeutic horsemanship and the requirements of this award
• History and principles of equine-assisted practices
• Techniques and methodologies used in equine-assisted interventions
• Building rapport with horses and understanding equine behavior
• Developing effective communication skills and creating lesson plans
• Service users
• Hands-on activities with horses to deepen understanding of equine-assisted interventions