● Programs

Foundations - The Ethical Horseman

● Program Overview

What You’ll Learn

This program aims to develop mutually beneficial, ethical, consent-based horse-human relationships by increasing self-awareness, self-leadership, and emotional literacy, and by understanding, respecting, and communicating with horses through the lens of their natural biology, psychology, and social needs.

Program Structure

Our group programs are led by credentialled facilitators. Our staff are trained in trauma-informed care, equine safety, ethical horsemanship, and some hold certifications from OK Corral- the founder of EAP/EAL! All of our programs follow the guiding principles of OK Corral and EAGALA, the leading certifying agencies.

What’s Included

Tuition covers full use of our private equine facility, including our 80’x115’ heated indoor arena. Small Group sessions are led by our fully certified and trained Equine Specialists and Facilitators and our diverse herd of experienced therapy horses. In addition, all course materials and program completion gift are included.

Session Lengths

Foundations is offered in an 8-week format, with each weekly session approximately 2-hours in length. Each session will include various activities, skills, and reflections using ground-based horse-human interactions.

Group Composition

Programs are designed for participants of all ages and equine skill levels- no experience necessary! This ensures that instruction, activities, and community are tailored to each developmental stage.

● Program Overview

Framework

Phase 1: Ethology and Keen Observation

Weeks 1-2

See the world from the horse’s perspective.

Phase 2: Somatic Congruence and Consent

Weeks 3-4

Align internal emotional states with external physical actions.

Phase 3: Clear Communication and Liberty

weeks 5-6

Explore clear, non-coercive partnerships.

Phase 4: Collaborative Partnership

weeks 7-8

Attempt simple goals while preserving autonomy of self and horse.

● Program Overview

  • Offers an alternative to dominance-based training methods. The human becomes a trustworthy partner the horse naturally chooses to engage and relate to as a result of healthy relationship practices. Reimagines the potential and scope of the horse-human relationship.

  • Emphasizes that the quality of the mental, emotional, and physical health of both horse and human are important considerations for learning to occur on both sides.

  • The human learns from the horse just as much as the horse learns from the human, turning every interaction into a mutual conversation and an opportunity to "unlearn" and "relearn" based on real-time experiences.

Key Learning Objectives

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