What are Equine Facilitated Interactions?
Equine Facilitated Interactions (including Equine Facilitated Learning and Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy – see below) involve working alongside horses to create personal learning or personal insight, or develop individual wellbeing, or structure a genuinely therapeutic intervention.
There is no one standard approach to this work. These interactions, can simply be observing the horses from a distance, quietly interacting with them within their natural environment, or working alongside them in a structured way in an arena or sand-school.
Equine Facilitated Interactions are based upon effective social intelligence and conscious somatic presence. By their nature horses are situationally and socially present, to work effectively with them, we need to be the same, and so we must learn to engage these qualities in ourselves.
As a herd-based, flight animal horses are sensitive to their environment and consciously aware of the energy, emotions and intentions of those around it. They are adept readers of non-verbal communications to which their reactions and responses are honest and unconditional. This authentic social intuition is engaged in our interactions. The good news for us is that horses do not role play. They do not have agendas, nor do they intentionally mislead. As a result, they respond to us as we are, if we change, they will change with us.
This honesty facilitates practical exercises in co-regulation, the means by which social beings support and calibrate each other’s energetic state and emotions. There is an exchange of real-time feedback, whereby we learn that in changing how we are, we can change not only change our own experience but that of others around us.
Experiential Benefit
Equine Facilitated Interactions are experiential by nature. In these interactions, we bring our whole selves into the process. It is not just about what we say or how we feel in the moment; it is the holistic “how we are.” Equine Facilitated Learning emphasizes the importance of experiential engagement, allowing participants to gain deeper insights into themselves and explore meaningful change.
The experiential benefit is not just about the insight and awareness we gain into ourselves but also about working with that awareness to explore change or difference. There is no change without action, and the experiential process creates a safe space to engage with that action. Well-facilitated Equine Facilitated Interactions provide a safe and non-judgmental environment for this exploration.
The process provides an authentic and unbiased 360° appraisal of how we are. In their subtle behaviors alongside us, the horses provide an objective shifting commentary on our mindset, demeanor, and behavior. Equine Facilitated Learning uses these interactions to help individuals understand and improve their emotional and social intelligence.
Equine Facilitated Interactions at the Athena Herd Foundation
The Athena Herd Foundation provides a full range of interactions, from straightforward equine experiences to personal development and formal therapeutic interventions. We are experts in developing skills-based learning, particularly in mindfulness and emotional intelligence, which support individual well-being as well as resilience and robust mental health. Equine Facilitated Learning is a cornerstone of our programs, emphasizing personal growth through interaction with horses.
The Athena Herd Foundation has an extensive network of qualified practitioners, enabling us to offer services that align with a variety of client or service user needs. This includes practitioners providing Counselling, Occupational Therapy, and Psychotherapy services. Our Equine Facilitated Learning programs are designed to cater to diverse needs, promoting emotional and psychological well-being.
Additionally, the growing national and international team at the Athena Herd Foundation brings diverse professional expertise from different backgrounds, united in their passion for the health and well-being of both humans and horses. Equine Facilitated Learning is integral to our mission, fostering a holistic approach to personal development.
You can read more about the process in practice please read The Mindful Horse‘s guest blog on our blog page – click here.
Qualifications at the Athena Herd Foundation
The Athena Herd Foundation is an Organisational Member of ACCPH (Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists) and bacp. Our Equine Facilitated Practitioner courses are accredited meaning our training and courses are of the highest standard. Our courses closely follow the level benchmarks set by Ofqual, the Open & Distance Learning Quality Council or similar bodies.
We offer a Level 2 Certificate in Equine Facilitated Interactions and Level 4 and Level 5 Equine Facilitated Practitioner Diplomas and a number of accredited CPD (CEU in the USA) opportunities (please visit our events page).
We also offer a Level 7 Certificate for those with existing practice who wish to further develop their practice.
