Equine-guided education

Equine-guided education, is a relatively new field of experiential learning for people from all walks of life and includes corporate, professional and personal development, experienced by horsemen and women throughout history and across the globe and recently re-conceptualized by a group of facilitators and motivators. Notably, Ariana Strozzi, Linda Kohanov, Chris Irwin and myriad others.

Benefits

Equine Guided Education creates experiential learning environments that tend to mirror real life situations. By working closely with a horse or horses, a person learns better self-understanding and self-responsibility. The size and true nature of the horse, usually at liberty (without tack and/or physical attachments of any kind), serve as metaphors for personal obstacles and challenges. These metaphors are then processed through conversation, through journaling, or through other personally expressed outlets. Benefits experienced by program participants include improved communication skills, improved teamwork skills, healthier relationships, improved self-confidence and self-esteem, improved work ethic, greater recognition of responsibility, appropriate assertiveness and self-discovery.

Roles and structures

According to the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association equine-guided education utilizes and develops "Non-verbal communication, assertiveness, creative thinking and problem-solving, leadership, work, taking responsibility, teamwork and relationships, confidence, and attitude". [http://www.eagala.org/whatiseapContent.htm]

Horses communicate with each other by body language and voice. Further, they often react to human body language as well. As large and powerful animals, some people find them intimidating - others empowering. Working with a horse, in spite of that fear, gives those people the opportunity to overcome fear and develop confidence. It also provides opportunities to discuss other intimidating and challenging situations.

Horses, as social animals, have defined roles within their herds. Just like people and many other intelligent animals, they have distinct personalities. This means that previously successful methods may not always work, and that participants may need to adjust their approach for each animal. This allows participants to discuss how they may need to adjust their approach in other situations.

During some sessions, participants engage in team-emphasized, ground activities with each other and with the horses. Throughout each task, facilitators make note of individual challenges and perceived 'successes'. Attention is paid to both the behaviour of the participant(s) and the horses.

At the end of each exercise is a group discussion, called a debriefing or processing. This requires participation from all enagaged in the experience, with the facilitator stimulating participant involvement and conversation. Experiences of participants are discussed to extract participant's reactions, perceptions and feelings. The design of each session is to draw out the dynamics of the human-vs-horse and individual-vs-group interaction and to bridge the gap between exercises in the arena and the participants' normal experience.

Official recognition

Horses are used in many forms of therapeutic programs such as hippotherapy, therapeutic horseback riding and horse-assisted psychotherapy. There are a number of organisations such as the [http://www.eahae.org/ European Association for Horse Assisted Education] and the [http://www.equineguidededucation.org/ Equine Guided Education Association] that offer further information on this developing field. Yearly conferences are held by these groups with various degrees of international attendance.

Training and Certification

There are a number of locations who provide training and or certification in Equine Guided Education.

Equine Guided Education Association ( EGEA )

[http://www.egea.us] is the official Equine Guided Education Association, The mission of the Equine Guided Education Association (EGEA) is to create and support a unified discourse involving the interaction of the horse as a respected 'guide' in human growth, learning and development. EGEA provides standards for competency, educational opportunities, resources and support for professionals and the public. The organization offers EGE certification and holds an annual international equine guided education conference.

SkyHorse Ranch

[http://www.skyhorseranch.com SkyHorse Ranch] (formerly known as Strozzi Ranch) is a training and certification for EGE center. The owner, Ariana Strozzi [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariana_strozzi] coined the term Equine Guided Education in 1999 and has been offering an internationally recognized certification program in equine guided education since 2000.