Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) Foundation Training

What is Equine Assisted Learning?

EAL is a unique approach to experiential learning, where clients are offered safe experiences with horses for the purpose of learning social-emotional skills, personal development, and professional development skills (e.g. leadership and team building). EAL is a fast-growing modality across Australia and the globe. National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) clients benefit greatly from EAL services as do children, adolescents and adults.

Who is this training for?

•  If you love horses and helping people, then becoming an EAL practitioner might be the next step in expanding your career horizons.
• This course is suitable for teachers, coaches, integration aides, disability support workers, horse riding coaches, and anyone with a love of horses and people.
• As an EAL practitioner, you would provide opportunities for clients to develop their skills in a safe and engaging, natural environment. This a fulfilling and fast-growing approach to learning and personal or professional development.
• If you ARE a registered mental health professional, you may be suited to our Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program.

How is the training delivered?

Once a year, we also offer our In Person Immersion training over 3 consecutive weeks in Mount Prospect, VIC! This suits international students and national students who need to fly in, train, and fly home. This includes training from Monday to Friday each week, for three consecutive weeks, with weekends off in between for integration and processing. This also suits some students who learn best in this immersion-style format.
We also deliver our Training online. Again, this suits our international and national students who are unable to travel and have to fit training around work, family and life commitments.

What are the Learning Objectives?

•  To understand the theory and practice of the EPI Model EAL and Aware Therapy™.
• To understand and apply experiential and creative principles and practices.
  To understand ethical issues and professional standards in delivering social-emotional learning and personal development practices.
• To understand and apply safety practices with horses and clients.
  To develop here and now assessment, process and closure skills.
• To create appropriate and graded equine experiences to offer clients based on appropriate assessment, with professionalism and sensitivity.
• To understand and be guided by self-awareness and ‘self as practitioner’, understanding the impact of practitioner core themes or personal styles on clients and the change process.
• To understand horse psychology, herd behaviour and appreciate the subjective and relational dynamics that horses bring to the process.
• To understand the relationship between practitioners and their horses and the impact on safety and efficacy of the work for clients, horses and practitioners.
• To understand and practice I – Thou Horse-person-ship.
• To understand and practice EPI Horse Wisdom® psycho-education programs
• To design and implement a range of equine assisted learning sessions and programs
• To develop a commitment to continuing personal and professional development.
• To begin EAL practice with support and supervision!

What can you expect from the training journey?

• Experiential
  It is an experiential and process-oriented training.
  
• Professional and Ethical
  Students develop professional practice and ethical boundaries to conduct safe, appropriate equine assisted practice.
  
• Personal
  Personal work is an integral part of the Foundation Training.
  
• Theoretical
  Theoretically grounded.
  
• Practice-based
  Practitioner and practice oriented.
  
• Research focused
  We encourage research and evaluation of programs.
  
• Horses as Teachers
  Including the horses as co-facilitators, assistants, teachers and supports for client change.
  
• Relational
  The model is Relational and grounded in relationship-based learning.
  
• Experimental
  Includes Liberty, Ground-based and Mounted experiences with horses for the purpose of supporting client change.

What are the 2024 Completion Requirements?

• Attend all 15 Days of Foundation Training (see Online Foundation Training for Online requirements)
• Complete at least 5 EAP/ EAL Clinical/Practice Sessions and keep case notes
• Complete 6 Phone / Online Education Support and Supervision Sessions with EPI Supervisor
• Completion of Self-Paced Virtual Equine Studies course (included in course fees)
• Includes Required Reading and active participation during training

All must be completed within 12 months of the commencement of training.

What support will you get?

After completion of training students/practitioners will:

• Join EPI Online Network Group
• Join EPI Closed Facebook Group
• Access EPI Supervision
• Access EPI Model Psychotherapy (as needed)
• Access ongoing Professional Development opportunities – Advanced / Specialist Training, Conferences, Assisting in training etc.
• Have lifetime access to the EPI Community of Practitioners

Why Train with Us?

We are uniquely placed as the first comprehensive Australian model of equine assisted practice - EAP (psychotherapy) and EAL (experiential learning) - since 2011. Our sister branch Animal Assisted Psychotherapy International has set a high bar for Animal Assisted Treatment - psychotherapy (AAP) and Animal Assisted Education - psycho-social learning (AAL) education and Training. Founder Meg Kirby is co-author of a recent peer-reviewed published article on best practice terminology recommendations for the international Animal Assisted Services sector of research and practice.

Celebrating our 13th year of training in equine assisted practice, animal assisted therapy and ecotherapy, we are an established private training organisation with an international reputation for excellence, high professional standards, and advocates for animal welfare, wellbeing and enrichment protocols.