I’m often asked for advice on how to become an equine assisted learning practitioner, where to train and what development path to take. The answer of course will depend on what the starting point is! I’m responding here simply to the most common questions which come up.
How and where did you do your own training?
In 2008 when I began to integrate horses into my psychotherapy and coaching practises there wasn’t very much professional training available. The profession in the UK and Europe was still in its infancy, with most pioneering programmes being based in the US. But I soon realised that I already had all the foundations that I needed: I was a body (somatic) psychotherapist and an experienced coach and business psychologist. I knew how to facilitate group and individual process and how to create an emotionally safe space for the work. I also knew how to keep myself safe when working at depth. In addition I was experienced with horses and was soon to become a natural horsemanship teacher.
I had been studying the dance between my own emotional process and my horses’ behaviour for a few years. In a way it was this reflective practice which enabled me to piece together the different strands of my professional know-how and to lay down the foundations of what would later become my embodied approach to horse-led learning.
You can read more about my story in my books, The Spell of the Horse and The Spirit of the Horse.
What training programmes do you recommend?
I am not qualified to recommend any particular training programmes simply because I am not familiar with most of them. You are the best person to do research and make judgements as to what organisations give you confidence and suit your learning style. It is important to reassure yourself that those teaching you have the right professional qualifications and experience to help you create an emotionally and physically safe process for both humans and horses. Go to as many introductory days/programmes as you can. Notice how the horses are seen within the process, are they treated as accessories or healers in their own right? How safe do you feel during practise sessions? Is adequate emotional support available for everyone involved? Are healthy boundaries maintained and psychological safety created? What professional and ethical standards are followed and recommended?
Remember that your professional development process is likely to take time. Don’t trust promises of quick fixes. A short course of study is not enough to qualify you to work safely as a horse-led learning practitioner on its own.
What long term investments can I make in my skills base?
There are three broad areas to focus on. You don’t need to necessarily start with horse-led learning or equine assisted learning training programmes.
- Pursue professional skills development and competence as a therapist, counsellor or coach.
- Pursue professional skills development and competence as a relational horse specialist.
- Continue to develop profound self awareness and active engagement in your own reflective healing process (eg through therapy, counselling, spiritual development, journalling).
Do I need to have in-depth knowledge of both human development and horse behaviour?
Horse-led learning process is a complex and multi-layered encounter. It is strongly recommended (if not required by many professional bodies) that it is delivered by a facilitation/therapy team of at least two professionals. One will be a ‘human specialist/therapist’ and the other a ‘horse specialist’. This enables the team to maximise the emotional and physical safety of both the humans and the horses involved.
So if you are a psychotherapist with little horse experience, or a relational horse specialist who is not qualified in coaching or psychotherapy, you can still do the work because you will be supported by a team member from the other discipline. I do recommend however that you adopt the 80/20 rule, and invest in developing the secondary specialism to a degree.
For example, therapists need to be comfortable with a herd and know how to maintain a neutral energy around horses. They need to stay calm and confident however the horses behave, and not transfer or project their own feelings about the horses into the process. An awareness of subtle energy and how this operates with horses is helpful, as is the ability to connect with the herd in order to create the all-important ‘therapeutic alliance’.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the experienced coach or therapist is to not simply end up repeating what they usually do anyway, but in a field with some horses. Respecting the horse as healer in its own right, and holding back to let them come forward as the leader of the process needs trust in the herd and a shift of style.
As well as their equine knowledge horse specialists on the team need to have high self awareness so that they too can maintain a neutral energy in the session. They need to be skilled at ‘being with’ emotion, know how to protect themselves and not be triggered by what is going on. They need to use their knowledge skilfully and discreetly to guide the therapist and support the client, without any indirect shaming due to the imbalance of knowledge power. In the same way that therapists must avoid replicating their usual way of working, horse specialists need to be wary not to ‘teach’ or to help the clients ‘problem solve’ technically with the herd. At times it might be appropriate but not always!
If I am a therapist or coach and don’t have my own horses how can I develop my understanding of horses?
Be creative about how you do this. Most of all it needs to be fun and be part of your personal development journey! Look for horse-led retreats, volunteer at a horse or donkey sanctuary, take horsemanship lessons, find relationally-minded horse owners who might need your help with the chores. Remember that learning to ride is not always the best thing to do. Often riding is about technique and control, particularly when you are a beginner. Most traditional riding schools will teach you how to stay on, not how to understand or connect with your horse.
If I am a horse-specialist how can I develop my awareness of human emotional process?
Make sure you are involved in your own reflective practice first and foremost and do something to continue supporting your own emotional development, for example spiritual practice, retreats, receiving therapy or counselling. You might also consider doing courses in coaching, counselling or group facilitation.
How do I start if I don’t have a herd or facility?
Maybe you don’t have any horses, or only one, and working in this way seems like a dream you can’t even imagine happening. Don’t be put off. There is a leap of faith required in that when you are ready to do the work, you will find a way of doing it. Or it will find you. Start your development process long before you have a defined structure or physical framework within which to practise. Trust it will come when you are ready.
I feel I’ve got all the skills I just don’t have the confidence to take that first step into the paddock with my clients.
If you are asking me this question, its probably time to have some supervision or mentoring! Explore what is behind your lack of confidence. Is it a lack of skill, is there anything else which needs to happen, something else you need to learn? Are there some self-limiting beliefs somewhere? What do you need to let go of? Or what do you need to embrace? What is your relationship with risk? Or are there just some practical issues which need addressing? How can you start softly? How can you create a safe first take-off and landing?