Membership Associations & Trainings
Below are the membership and training organizations in rough chronological order:
EFMHA (now PATH) The Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association began as a subcommittee of NARHA in 1994 according to the chronological history at the former EGEA, and EFMHA was granted section status by NARHA in 1996. Co-founder Isabella “Boo” McDaniel (now Martin) held Horses & Healing conferences at her Pony Farm in New Hampshire. Boo has written an article about the founding of EFMHA that was published by NARHA in their Winter 1998 magazine. Contact PATH for a copy of the article. The other co-founder, Barbara Rector, continued to train individuals through her Adventures in Awareness [AIA] programs. In 2010, NARHA incorporated EFMHA into the newly named PATH Intl (Professional Horsemanship of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International). The Yahoo groups EFMHE Forum once hosted a wealth of information.
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Adventures in Awareness - Barbara Rector
PATH Intl. the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International
PATH was formed in 2011 and incorporated NARHA and EFMHA within it. There are a number of certifications offered under this umbrella. For the purposes of this website, these are the most specific to equine assisted work:
https://pathintl.org/certification/mental-health-and-learning/
https://pathintl.org/certification/eal-facilitator-microcredentials/​
EPONAQUEST Linda Kohanov established Epona Equestrian Services in 1997. Her Tao of Equus was published in 2001. Riding Between the Worlds was published in 2003. While not a membership organization like the other organizations, EPONAQUEST provides holistic and spiritual approaches to acquiring emotional fitness skills, including creativity workshops as well as The Eponaquest Apprenticeship Program. Best Practice Guidelines for Epona-approved instructors. Starting in 2013, apprentices also began receiving instruction in how to teach The Five Roles of a Master Herder in corporate, educational, personal development, equestrian, and family systems contexts. This model, based on research Linda first presented in The Power of the Herd, has since expanded into another book, The Five Roles of a Master Herder. “While I was intrigued and most certainly inspired by the potential of equine-facilitated therapy, I was most interested in partnering with horses to help so-called ‘well-adjusted’ people learn to how to excel in life and work.” ~Linda Kohanov
EAGALA, the Equine Assisted Growth & Learning Association, was formed in July 1999 as the nonprofit arm of Greg Kersten’s business, Equine Services. Greg Kersten had begun, some years before, working with adjudicated youth near Washington, DC, rewarding them with visits to the horses when they met their requirements. Soon Kersten, a trained alcohol and drug counselor, developed a system of exercises that he took with him to Turn-About Ranch, a residential program in Utah, where he met Lynn Thomas, a wilderness guide, who was impressed with his results. Thomas then earned a social work degree before EAGALA formed. Lanier Cordell was instrumental in logo creation/selection and contributed to the marketing of EAGALA. In 1998 I was in touch via email with Lynn Thomas during the formation of EAGALA as a nonprofit association, the selection of Board Members, and the assorted questions about nonprofit application. A conference was held in Utah in 1999 and in Lubbock, TX, in 2000 with 100+- people in attendance. In 2002 a committee was formed to study the expansion of Equine Assisted Learning. In 2004 just one Eagala training hosted 80 people at $500 per person with the revenues that year approaching one million (the figures can be obtained from the Eagala IRS 990 form, public record).
At the 2005 conference in Primm, NV, it was announced that EAGALA would focus totally on equine assisted psychotherapy and not expand into equine assisted learning in order to establish standards and promote the EAGALA model in the mental health field with the objective of receiving reimbursement from insurance for EAP (limiting it to EAP), a decision Kersten opposed. He also opposed Board members doing EAGALA trainings and making money from EAGALA while serving on the Board of Directors which he considered a conflict of interest.
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The original EAGALA training manuals based on Kersten’s intellectual property were changed after his departure in Nov 2005, and an EAGALA “Model” became branded by Thomas and the new Board of Directors. Currently EAGALA promotes its Model for both EAP and EAL as well as corporate work, all requiring a therapist in the team.
Fifteen years later, in Nov 2020, another Board of Directors removed Lynn Thomas as CEO of EAGALA. Most of the administrative staff and a group of trainers resigned and left with her to form two new organizations:
ARCH Arenas for Change
Horses for Mental Health (HMH)
Some original trainers remained with the 2020 BOD to continue to share the Model.
OK CORRAL SERIES Greg Kersten established this EAP training organization in 2006. Kersten’s talent and creativity continue to benefit the equine assisted community. The OK Corral trains nationally and internationally, and the website lists over 500 members. Kersten offers a series of innovative seminar/workshops based on the different applications of EAP/EAL he has created. Signature exercises were created by Greg Kersten with the help of countless at-risk youth he served in the 1980s and 1990s. The exercises were first published and copyrighted in the Equine Assisted Psychotherapy training manual, published by Equine Services, Inc. in 1995. New exercises are being created every day, but these exercises have become synonymous with Greg Kersten and EAP. OK Corral publishes a newsletter called the Equine Assisted Networker that supplies current news and information for the equine assisted field.
EGEA the Equine Guided Education Association was established in 2003 by Ariana Strozzi to promote equine guided education, a holistic model based on her program of Leadership & Horses and Somatic Coaching. After EAGALA made the decision to focus on EAP, EGEA offered conferences and “think-tanks” to promote EAL. The core work is continued under the name of: Equine Guided Education Coaching
History of EGEA: EGEA President, Ariana Strozzi began incorporating horses into self-development programs including leadership, coaching, and corporate team building in the late 1980’s. She quickly learned that magic was in the midst and has been fascinated with the unique and profound way that horses can touch humans on every level of their reality ever since.
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In 1999 she coined the term, Equine Guided Education, and began to consider the long term needs of this new and upcoming field of work. As EAGALA and EFMHA formed, her students and other professionals, asked her to form an association for professionals as well. The early 2000’s were rich with various ‘think tank’ groups envisioning the future of the industry and what was needed. Questions asked included, “What is the role of the horse-really?” “What are the various applications or modalities possible?” “What does it take to develop competency to facilitate this work?” “Who should be the governing body?” And so on….
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Ariana Strozzi gathered many “thought leaders” together. She created different “think tanks” to discuss each question. She listened. She watched the field develop. She asked more questions.
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After much research, collaborative conversations and dialogue, Ariana Strozzi brought together a founding board for EGEA. In late 2003, EGEA was co-founded by Ariana Strozzi, June Gunter, Alyssa Aubrey, and Gaby Fabian. EGEA is forever grateful for these individuals who put their whole-hearted efforts into making EGEA a reality.
EAHAE The European Association for Horse Assisted Education was founded in 2004 by Gerhard Krebs.
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The EAHAE International (former European) Association for Horse Assisted Education is a worldwide platform for information, communication, education, certification, research and publication of every kind of Horse Assisted Education.
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The vision of the EAHAE is to establish and develop Horse Assisted Education as a general form of personal and professional development in enterprises, organizations, institutions, societies, and for personal purposes.
E3A the Equine Experiential Education Association the FIRST USA EAL organization, was founded July 2008 by a core group to provide an international professional membership organization that builds, delivers, and supports excellence in the field of Equine Assisted Learning. The training and services are specific to practitioners interested in building their professional facilitation skills in the coaching, leadership, corporate and personal development fields. Each team member is trained in horse handling and communication as well as facilitation skills so each team member is knowledgeable in a well-balanced team. E3A’s facilitation model is based on adult experiential learning and facilitation theories and methods (Kolb, Pfeiffer- Jones, Appreciative Inquiry, E3A 5-Question Model). E3A focuses on the effective facilitation of Equine Assisted Learning development programs that cater to corporate, coaching, leadership, team building, Personal Development and Wellness, and educational clientele See model difference description here.
The CliftonStrengths Assessment is essential for empowering people to set and achieve their goals and accomplish great things.
E3A hosted the first USA international conference in Sept 2017.
INTERNAL COMPASS – CHRIS IRWIN renamed his EAPD Equine-Assisted Personal Development program INTERNAL COMPASS. With Internal Compass Chris Irwin brings the theme of “We are feeling the vulnerability of uncertainty. There is no map. We must learn how to connect with our intuition, our inner compass, for navigating the unknown. When the way forward is not clear we must connect with our unconscious mind and listen to our primal wisdom so we can embrace our vulnerability with confidence and enthusiasm.” Participants learn how to communicate respectfully and consistently with their personal core – their primal energy – so that self-assurance balanced with empathy is expressed through non-verbal behavior. Irwin Insights raises the bar of EA programs by recognizing horses as sentient beings. Respect, focus, trust and willingness from horses are earned by the integrity of our actions. “Sigmund Freud said that the human ego merges with the unconscious mind like a rider with a horse. This is the ride of our lives!”
NATURAL LIFEMANSHIP Certification Trainings with Tim and Bettina Jobe. As the original Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (TF-EAP™), NL is based on contemporary medical research that explains the physiological and psychological impact of chronic stress and traumatic insults on human development beginning in utero and throughout the lifespan. Founded on this science Natural Lifemanship views and treats psychological and behavioral disorders through a trauma lens by intentionally using horse physiology to regulate human physiology, and horse psychology to heal human psychology. In TF-EAP™ the relationship between the client and their horse is the foundation for healing and every interaction between the horse and human, whether on the ground or mounted, has a therapeutic purpose.
Here are some specific pages on the Natural Lifemanship website you may find helpful:
Mental Health Practitioners
Training & Certification for Educators
Building Connected Relationships
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ARCH Arenas for Change - Lynn Thomas
ARCH helps therapists, coaches, and equine specialists lead emotionally-safe, transformative sessions incorporating horses, nature, and story – bringing renewed energy, clarity, and inspiration to your practice. Horses for Mental Health (HMH)
GESTALT EQUINE INSTITUTE OF THE ROCKIES - We offer a two year training program in Gestalt Equine Psychotherapy (GEP)™. You will learn the essentials of Gestalt therapy and the essentials of equine assisted psychotherapy providing a great deal of experiential work directly with the horses in this program. About 75% of this program will be hands on, both with horses and working with each other in an experiential way. Many equine programs do not include any, or have very little expectation that you will become a “horse” person. We will hold that you become both a “horse” person and a Gestalt therapist. Duey Freeman, MA, LPC and Joan Rieger, MA, LPC
The Equine Gestalt Coaching Method® (EGCMethod) was developed by Melisa Pearce, a core founder since 1989, of the horse-human healing movement. The experiential nature of the method involves the horse as an active partner with the coach in the client’s exploratory process. The integrative approach of the equine’s interaction combined with positive coaching, somatic awareness, guidance and Gestalt methodology, assist the client in examining their life and choices made with a focus on designing a positive future.
SARA SHERMAN – EQUINE ASSISTED COACH - learn more about the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method.
HUMAN-EQUINE ALLIANCE FOR LEARNING (HEAL)
HEAL founder and lead therapist Leigh Shambo, MSW, LPCC has developed the HEAL Model™ of EFP, based on scientifically validated principles from the fields of neuroscience and psychology (human and animal). The HEAL Model™ teaches core skills for navigating and enhancing relationships, while strengthening autonomy and awareness of self. The horses are respected as sensitive and intelligent communicators who may guide the process in unique ways! The Heal Model Certification
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​THE LISTENING HEART: The Limbic Path Beyond Office Therapy By MSW, LMHC, Leigh Shambo
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​EQUINE ASSISTED EMDR - Sarah Jenkins, USA
Using an experiential approach, EquiLateral® involves EMDR therapy integrating with equine-assisted interactions to become Equine-Assisted EMDR (EA-EMDR) Therapy
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​Equine Facilitated Learning and Coaching (EFLC) Certification Program
This program with KATHY PIKE melds aspects of human consciousness, energy awareness, horse wisdom and nature to create safe learning environments that support authentic expression and skills development in this new and rapidly emerging field.
MEDICINE AND HORSEMANSHIP Dr. Beverley Kane, M.D.
Medicine and Horsemanship trains medical students and other healthcare students and practitioners to develop awareness of the subtleties of self-presentation and communication that are necessary for the provider-patient relationship and all other professional encounters.
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THE HERD INSTITUTE - Veronica Lac, PhD
The HERD Institute offers an inclusive environment, embraces an attitude of abundance, and honors the potential of all its members. We aim for Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy and Learning (EFPL) to be recognized as an empirically based treatment and educational modality.
HorseWork Education at Strides to Success
HorseWork Education is the professional development branch of Strides to Success. We offer training and certification in equine-assisted learning and support the industry on an international level through education, advocacy, and policy-making. Blair and Debbie have spent the last three years working with PATH Intl to create the new Equine Assisted Learning credential program. Debbie Anderson and Blair McKissock have spent their careers supporting the growth of equine assisted services.
Polyvagal Equine Institute: DR. REBECCA BAILEY, PhD (Bio | LinkedIn)
Dr. Bailey incorporated her clinical experience with her long-standing interest in animal therapy and the equine-assisted growth and learning programs. Together with two colleagues she created the Polyvagal Equine Institute. She received her doctoral degree from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. She is nationally recognized expert in abduction and complex trauma and the founder and director of Transitioning Families, an innovative and family-based program for therapeutic reunification and reintegration in California. Dr. Bailey is a regular consultant to various nonprofits focused on the well-being of survivors. Dr. Bailey is actively involved in applying Dr. Stephen Porges’ research on the autonomic nervous system to her long-standing work with a variety of patients recovering from life-altering stressful and traumatic experiences.
Dr. Bailey presents widely throughout the country on a variety of topics, including the premise of creating "Protected Spaces" for survivors of traumatic crimes and the incorporation of Polyvagal principles into Interventions. She has a special interest in equine interventions and has written a book on Polyvagal principles and Equine assisted therapy. She has published articles on both Polyvagal Principles and Equine therapy. Contact Dr. Bailey: through her admin@transitioningfamilies.com or at www.Polyvagalequineinstitute.com
The Equus Effect Certified Facilitator Training
Between experiential learning with horses, body-based tools and education in Emotional Agility® TEE offers students the opportunity to discover how to facilitate from a grounded place of emotional maturity and greater mental and emotional capacity. TEE is a multi-component non-medical model and does not operate from a treatment plan or diagnosis. The TEE curriculum is a reflection of what the founders learned about horses and themselves through Linda Kohanov’s Eponaquest, Buck Brannaman, Peter Levine and the Somatic Experiencing Training Institute.
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The Center for Equus Coaching (formerly the Koelle Institute for Equus Coaching) The Center for Equus Coaching is a world-class training organization and international community of Equus Coaches dedicated to personal transformation, authentic leadership, and empowered living.
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Koelle Simpson Koelle Simpson is a trauma-focused equus therapist who facilitates transformational sessions, experiences, and retreats that foster lasting restoration, resilience, and growth. With over twenty years of experience working globally, she utilizes animal wisdom, nature, and proven practices to support lifelong personal development.
Equine Interaction Experience™ Practitioner Training – Eleni Argy
Available in person in AUSTRALIA, EUROPE, USA, UK and ONLINE
Sheez Like the Wind - Equine Assisted Learning and Wellbeing Certification Program
Our skilled Equine Assisted Learning and Wellbeing team collectively hold several decades of expertise in many facets of community service, mental health, social work, life coaching, alternative therapies and horsemanship. We specialize in working with vulnerable populations, and are passionate about making our equine experiences accessible to everyone. Animal-assisted learning fills an essential gap where other services and therapies alone might fall short.
A comprehensive 2018 list of Equine Assisted Practice Trainings was done by Sarah Schlote of Equusoma in September 2018. Alphabetical, PDF document, 18 pages.
AUSTRALIA
Equine Psychotherapy Institute, AUSTRALIA
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Equine Interaction Experience™ Practitioner Training – Eleni Argy
Available in person in AUSTRALIA, EUROPE, USA, UK and ONLINE
Equine Experience International™ fosters strong partnerships with local community organisations and services, such as schools, hospitals, mental health facilities, police, youth groups, homelessness services, drug and alcohol services, family support agencies and local businesses.
EUROPE
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EAHAE The European Association for Horse Assisted Education was founded in 2004 by Gerhard Krebs.
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The EAHAE International (former European) Association for Horse Assisted Education is a worldwide platform for information, communication, education, certification, research and publication of every kind of Horse Assisted Education. The vision of the EAHAE is to establish and develop Horse Assisted Education as a general form of personal and professional development in enterprises, organizations, institutions, societies, and for personal purposes.
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IFEAL QUALIFICATIONS (UK-based) IFEAL Qualifications was established in 2007, as a professional training that has the depth and psychological competency needed to do justice to any equine assisted facilitation, coaching and psychotherapy interventions. They realised the need for a systematic method in order to best consider and validate the complex process and outcomes of the Facilitator-Horse-Client alliance. Hale Court Farm House, Beech Green Lane, Withyham, East Sussex, TN7 4DD
CANADA
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CARTIER FARMS, Canada. EAL FACILITATOR CERTIFICATION - Cartier Farms offers the original creation of the award-winning Equine Assisted Learning. Meet their Team. Their ​BUILDING BLOCK ™ CERTIFICATION PROGRAM It is the only program of its type recognized by the Saskatchewan Horse Federation.
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SUE MCINTOSH, MA, CCC - When you train with Healing Hooves you join a community of professionals dedicated to a journey of ongoing growth in partnership with animals and nature. We meet you where you are now, honoring the unique experiences and skills – with people and with animals – you already possess, and we share a ‘map’ for applying and growing your experiences and skills within the Equine and Animal Assisted Services and Wellness field. Our approach is insight based and adaptable and is firmly grounded in both the discernments of science, research and professionalism AND in the wisdom of nature and our animals. Read: The Certification Conundrum – Equine and Animal Assisted Therapy
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FEEL - HORSE SPIRIT CONNECTIONS INC, CANADA – Horse Spirit Connections founded the FEEL (Facilitated Equine Experiential Learning®) Certification Program in 2008. FEEL is a leading-edge modality for developing human potential. Participants learn to create a horse-centered, experiential learning environment that supports personal growth. Throughout the training, prospective FEEL Practitioners gain self-knowledge and acquire skills and experience to develop their own FEEL programs where horses are valued for their roles as teachers and healers. www.FEELAlumni.com Wendy Golding is an Epona Instructor and has completed an extensive apprenticeship with Linda Kohanov and Kathleen Barry Ingram of the Epona Center in Arizona.
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EQUINE CONNECTION, CANADA - The EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING BUILDINGBLOCK™ COURSE has helped people just like yourself all over the world to do what you are called to do, help people to become all they can be with the horses as the teachers.​
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LEAD (Leadership through Equine Assisted Discovery) Program (Canada) LEAD is the first university-accredited equine-assisted leadership program in Canada; participants receive a University of Guelph certificate on successful completion of the program.
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EQUINE FACILITATED WELLNESS-CANADA (EFW-CAN)
EFW-Can is a professional community who values building respectful, trusting relationships through the human-equine bond. Our holistic foundation offers a diverse array of opportunities for personal exploration & growth, professional development, and certification training within the arena of Equine Facilitated Wellness.
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Sarah Schlote of Equusoma EQUUSOMA® offers concrete frameworks, principles and training to guide professionals in horse-human trauma recovery for both horse and human clients. It Explores equine-human relationships in various contexts and professions from the lens of trauma, attachment ruptures, nervous system patterns and co-regulation..and much, much more.
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Equine Entrepreneur - Become a Certified Advanced Facilitator with Equine Facilitated Way
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TAMARA CINNAMON - THE ROUND PEN - healing with horses
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PATRICK BUFFALO - Manaciso: healing with horses
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