CERTIFICATIONS

Advanced clinical training & certification pathways

For practitioners advancing equine work

An equine assisted therapy and learning certification is a structured pathway for clinicians and practitioners who want to integrate experiential work into their practice with clarity, rigor, and ethical grounding.

OVERVIEW

What these certifications are

This is not introductory training. It is advanced, applied, and built for practitioners who take their work seriously.

Structured training pathways for practitioners ready to expand their clinical work into equine-assisted and experiential modalities. They are designed for depth, not exposure.

An equine assisted therapy and equine assisted learning certification is grounded in clinical theory, applied through direct practice, and supported by frameworks that emphasize ethics, safety, and informed application. Each pathway integrates three layers of learning: theoretical grounding, supervised practice, and reflective integration.

The training assumes you are already practicing in a clinical, therapeutic, or applied professional context. Foundational concepts in psychology, ethics, and professional practice are not taught from the beginning; they are extended into a new modality.

THE PROBLEM

Eligibility & Professional Alignment

This training requires a specific level of experience and context. Being explicit about fit protects both the practitioner and the integrity of the work.

WHO THIS IS FOR

Licensed therapists & clinicians. Integrating experiential modalities into existing practice

Equine-assisted practitioners. Seeking structured, ethics-forward advanced training

Coaches & educators. Working in applied developmental and growth contexts

Advanced professionals. Deepening, not expanding, an existing scope of practice

WHO THIS IS NOT FOR

New practitioners. A foundation in professional practice is assumed

Quick-credential seekers. This is a sustained commitment, not a fast title

Non-clinical contexts. Training requires applied work with real clients or participants

Horsemanship beginners. Basic competence around horses is assumed, not taught

PATHWAYS

Certification pathways

Two distinct certification pathways are offered, each aligned with a clearly defined scope of practice and professional context. These pathways are not interchangeable; each is designed to reflect the level of responsibility, application, and ethical considerations required within that specific domain of work. The structure, requirements, and expectations differ accordingly, ensuring that practitioners are trained in a way that is consistent with how the work is intended to be applied in real settings.

Each pathway includes defined prerequisites, a structured progression of training, required hours across multiple components, and clear qualification outcomes upon completion. The aim is not only to develop competence, but to ensure that practitioners can operate within their scope with clarity, consistency, and professional integrity. Full details for each pathway, including prerequisites, structure, hours, and what completion qualifies you to do, are outlined below.

EAL

Equine-Assisted Learning

Developmental & educational scope

An equine-assisted learning certification is a structured pathway focused on the educational and developmental use of equine-assisted work outside of clinical therapy. The emphasis is on growth, learning, and skill development rather than the treatment of mental health conditions. The program runs for 9–12 months, totaling approximately 200 hours in a modular format with practicum, and is designed for coaches, educators, facilitators, and professionals working in non-clinical contexts.

Prerequisites include active professional practice, basic competence around horses, and a scope that does not require clinical licensure. The program includes training, supervised practicum, and independent study, and qualifies you to design and facilitate EAL sessions within a developmental scope.

FORMAT

Modular and practicum

TOTAL HOURS

200 hours

DURATION

9-12 months

EAT

Equine-Assisted Therapy

Clinical scope, for licensed only

An equine-assisted therapy (EAT) certification is a clinically grounded pathway for licensed therapists and mental health professionals integrating equine-assisted work into therapeutic practice. This approach treats equine work as a clinical modality, held within a defined therapeutic frame rather than used as an adjunct. The program runs for 12–18 months and includes approximately 300 hours delivered through practica and consultation, designed for licensed clinicians with active practice in good standing.

Prerequisites include a current professional license, a minimum of two years post-licensure clinical experience, and basic equine competence. The program includes 120 hours of training, 120 hours of supervised clinical practicum, and 60 hours of case consultation, and qualifies you to integrate equine-assisted methods into your existing clinical practice within your license, scope, and trained populations.

FORMAT

Practica and Consultation

TOTAL HOURS

300 hours

DURATION

12-18 months

WHAT YOU DEVELOP

Core Competencies Developed Through Certification

Certification is not about adding tools. It is about developing

the clinical depth required to apply them well.

01 Clinical depth

The capacity to hold complexity, attune to process, stay within scope under pressure, and recognize what is and is not yours to work with.

02 Structured application

Frameworks for session structure, contracting, assessment, and documentation, the ability to articulate what you are doing and why.

03 Experiential fluency

Pacing, presence, the use of silence, somatic awareness, and the capacity to work with what emerges rather than imposing what was planned.

04 Ethical grounding

Clear principles for safety, consent, scope, and the specific ethics that arise when working with horses and experiential methods.

The outcome of an equine assisted therapy certification is not a new skill set bolted onto an existing practice. It is a more integrated practitioner.

APPROACH

Foundational Training

The core principles that shape how this training is designed, delivered, and
applied in practice.

01 Evidence-based

Grounded in clinical theory, current research, and established frameworks from psychotherapy, somatic practice, attachment theory, trauma studies, and equine-assisted work. Where research is still emerging, this is named honestly.

02

Experiential

Learning happens through direct, supervised practice. Theory is integrated through application, not lecture. Reflection and feedback are built into every stage, because experiential learning without reflection becomes habit, not skill.

03

Structured

A defined progression with clear standards, ethics, and competencies, not open-ended exploration. What practitioners are expected to know, demonstrate, and uphold is named clearly, so the credential means something specific.

APPLICATION

Pathway Admission Process

What changes when the clinic foundation is in place, and why this is where the real work of running a therapy practice begins.

Initial Consultation

A focused conversation to review your background, scope of practice, and intent for certification. This step determines readiness and alignment before moving forward with a formal application.

Application Submission

A formal application outlining credentials, scope of practice, professional context, and reasons for pursuing certification. This step provides the information required for structured evaluation.

Application Review

A structured review against pathway-specific prerequisites and professional alignment. Incomplete or misaligned applications are returned with feedback for clarification or revision.

Enrollment Confirmation

A formal confirmation of acceptance, including cohort placement, payment terms, and program start date. This step finalizes entry into the selected certification pathway.