Skyhorse Ranch - An Adventure of the Senses

Equine Guided Education

 

What you have taught me, revealed to me and shared with me continues to shape and shift my life - the seeds you planted grow wild and rich with purpose in my fertile self. I am extremely satisfied in my work, my purpose, my home and my relationships. And what I love to do now is to share the principles you taught me to others. Thank you for being my greatest mentor.

Lucinda Newman, 2005

Equine Guided Educator Certification Program™

EQUINE GUIDED EDUCATION OVERVIEW

Equine Guided Education (EGE) encourages growth and learning through the 'Eyes of the Horse'. (EGE) integrates equine activities, kinesthetic learning and cognitive insight in developing self-responsibility, a healthy self-image, as well as social and relationship skills. EGE can be found in a wide variety of human learning methods including psychotherapy, coaching, holistic health practices, general education, youth at risk and rehabilitation programs.
  
 Horses are an ancient archetypal symbol in the human psyche. They represent dignity, honor, beauty, strength, power and endurance. For thousands of years training one’s horse was about creating a partnership of balance and oneness. Less than a hundred years ago horses were our vehicles of transportation, agricultural support, physical laborers, and warfare partners.

Yesterday we took great pride in training our horses for show and sport. Today horses are our teachers and healers helping us to reconnect to what has heart and meaning in our lives and assist us in re-aligning our mind, body and spirit so that we can walk into our future with grace and integrity.

           EGEA stands for the respectful integration of horses into human learning methods. We see that the horse does more than assist or facilitate learning, the horse actually "Guides"-"(One who can find paths through unexplored territory) the process of “Education”-(Discipline of mind or character through study or instruction).


THE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

· The founder of Equine Guided Education, Ariana Strozzi, has been incorporating horses into self-development and leadership programs since 1990. As this unique learning platform has gained popularity she began teaching other professionals how to bring horses into their programs in 1998, and coined the term Equine Guided Education in 1999.
 
· Professionals who have taken our certification program include coaches, therapists, educators, horse trainers, equestrians, teachers, college students, animal communicators, and individuals who are focused on their own self-development.
 
· Our certification program is currently the only professional development program endorsed by the Equine Guided Education Association.
 
· We know from experience that to do EGE or EAP/EAL requires additional education. What we mean here is, that a person can have a lot of horse experience and human development skill (in their area of specialization i.e. coaching, organizational development, therapy), and yet to actually incorporate horses into their professional offers requires additional training. Our certification program teaches you the additional skills and knowledge required to incorporate horses in all forms of education, learning and healing. If you don’t feel like you have either enough horse experience or human skill sets, we will help you determine what and how you need to continue your education so that you can be successful and confident in your work.
 
· We are about quality. We pride ourselves on the success of our students. Our intent is not on how many students we get in our programs, but rather that the students in our programs gain the skills they need and come out of our program with confidence and clarity.
 
· Our program is tried and true and professionals who graduate from our certification program have gone on to run successful programs of their own around the world.
 
· We encourage our students to stay in touch with us and offer continuing mentoring whenever they need it.
 
· Graduates of the EGE certification program can become Associates of the EGEA.
 
· Our certification program is not the cheapest game in town, nor is it the most expensive. We understand that it is an important investment in your future. Remember that the cost of the program matches the value and content that you will receive. And, that once you have completed the program you will know exactly how to get started and offer programs that will return your investment.
 
· This program is for new and seasoned professionals. It is valuable for people just entering the horse as healer/teacher’ profession and for professionals who have already begun to incorporate horses into their offers. For new people coming into this field, you do not have to know exactly how you want to incorporate horses into your work in order to enter our certification program. You will gain that clarity during the program and upon completion have a concrete sense of how you want to incorporate horses into your offer. For seasoned professionals, you can avoid the 2-4 year learning curve it will take for you to figure this work out on your own.
 
· Participants of the certification program come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience. Our goal is to encourage you to expand on your existing skills as well as learn new skills. We are not focused on one particular methodology, but rather on the universal application of what horses can offer to healing and teaching models. If you have already received training in the EAGALA or EPONA models, this program will expand on what you already know and continue to develop your skill and competency. See below some of the topics we cover in the program.
 
· Bringing horses into the learning model, creates a whole new set of complexities and unknowns. We teach you how to think, how to trust yourself and your horses, and how to navigate in a wide variety of situations.
 
· People who complete the certification program come away with clarity, a great sense of purpose, confidence and new perspective. Because this is a learning-by-doing program you will not only learn how to incorporate horses into your offer, you will come away with clear goals and objectives to expand on your professional offer.
 
· The program includes the somatic (non-verbal) underpinnings that make this work possible. We focus on developing your ability to observe, recognize, and articulate the dynamics of the horse(s), yourself as the facilitator (translator) and your client.
 
· The certification program is comprised of EGE-1 (a 5 day class) and EGE-2 (2 week class with weekends off). You can take the EGE-1 and EGE-2 back to back or, if you cannot do the 3 week program at once, it can be split into 2 parts.  A phone or personal interview is required for the EGE program, you can email me anytime to schedule your interview.
 
· Class generally goes from Monday through Friday each week, and weekends are days off. Cost of program includes continental breakfast and lunch during class days.
           


WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Intuitive Horsemanship™:

 · The universal principles of horsemanship that allow this work to be possible
· Horse psychology-social, hierarchal herd structure
· Body language and how the horse deals with energy
· Leading by following vs. command and control
· The appropriate use of pressure
· Herd dynamics
· Identifying the horse's emotional state and willingness to relate
· Demystifying the predator/prey issue
· The intuitive quality of horses
· Working with horses with authentic presence as opposed to tool-based commands
· The importance of being able to read energy
· Shifting from traditional horsemanship models to EGE or EAP
 
Equine experiential exercises

 (How, when and why they are applicable to human development)
· Herd Dynamics-the archetype of the horse, symbology, leadership, etc.
· Passive observation exercises
· Energy Awareness Techniques
· Passive vs. Active processes
· Communication through non-verbal language
· Becoming part of the herd-listening to self, others, and energy fields
· Round pen-passive exercise, reflection, inquiry
· Leading the horse in hand-Extension, attention, vision, looking ahead
· Centering Practices
· On horseback-Allowing yourself to receive, listen to your body
· Grooming as a self-care practice
· Lunging-commitment, action, knowing what you care about
· Team Games-interactive group exercises
· Painting horses and other art activities-creativity, imagination, mythical, etc.
· Plus others…
 

Facilitation concepts:

· Providing a non-judgmental and optimistic approach to learning
· Understanding the phases of creating change and learning
· Understanding group dynamics
· Creating a supportive learning environment for a variety of situations
· Develop your sense of timing, when to interpret
· Developing your intuition and listening skills
· Interpreting and articulating horses responses
· Reading body language and incongruence in story and action
· Knowing when to enter into challenging areas and when to hold back
· Grounding interpretations in somatic feedback and body language
· Staying centered on the goals of the client
· Working with fear and judgment
· Developing personal skills for staying focused and centered during intense interactions
· Knowing when to use what exercises and why
· Balance of positive feedback and honest reflection
· Somatic concepts of Energy, Center, Extension, Balance, Authenticity
· Knowing your boundaries and competency in deeper personal work
· Biological perspective of being human and being an animal
· The power of seeing student/client from phenomena-based point of view
· Importance of knowing how to work with aggressive behavior and incongruent situations
· Differences between coaching and psychotherapy
· Choosing facilities and horses
· Business and curriculum development

WHAT DOES AN EQUINE GUIDED EDUCATOR DO?

The Equine Guided Educator creates an experiential, supportive learning environment for participants to learn about themselves, heal what has been broken, and re-connect to what has heart and meaning through interactive experiences with horses. He/she allows the horse to 'guide' the process of learning, reflecting and exploration. He/she combines the process of kinesthetic learning and cognitive reflection in relation to the student's/client's mental, physical, spiritual, emotional and social well being. Through the process of evaluating an individual's current patterns of behavior, perceptions, and performance, the Equine Guided Educator encourages the student/client towards a healthy self-image and supports the exploration of new practices for achieving personal and/or professional goals.
    

       The Equine Guided Educator guides his/her students/clients through a learning process that is centered on their ambitions and goals for the future. He/she assists his/her students/clients in refining their gifts and creating environments in which they can thrive. He/she facilitates the student's/client's growth and learning through experiential exercises with horses. The horse, in this process, literally 'guides' the student/client and the Educator by revealing inner states of mind and physical energetic states of presence. The noun "guide" means "someone who can find paths through unexplored territory." The Equine Guided Educator as 'Educator' cultivates the integration of mind/body/spirit through experiential learning practices.

           The combination of the Educator and the Equine Guide offers unique, impactful, experiential exercises geared towards developing people's self knowledge and self-responsibility. Some common learning schemas include:

· Identifying and developing the student/client ambitions and aspirations
· Developing the ability to stay focused on goals
· Enhancing communication and negotiation skills
· Encouraging self confidence and self-esteem
· Assisting the process of developing trust with the oneself and others
· Learning how to listen to and respect one's intuition and sixth sense
· Building effective relationship and interactive practices
· Uncovering old stories and behaviors that are no longer effective
· Developing new stories and behaviors relevant to goals and objectives
 
The Equine Guided Educator understands how to allow the horse to reflect each student's/client's unique strategies and presentations in such a way that the student/client can receive this often intense feedback in a supportive process. Leveraging the process of 'learning by doing' (experiential) integrated with the horse's natural wisdom and healing presence assists the Educator in encouraging the student/client to accept responsibility for their own learning and behavior.
           The word "Experience" is defined as the state or extent of being engaged in a particular study or work; developing knowledge, skill or technique resulting from experience; the sum total of the conscious events which compose an individual life as observed facts and events in contrast with what is supplied by thought. Effective learning occurs when the student/client engages in some activity, reflects upon the activity, derives useful insight from the analysis, and incorporates the result through a change in understanding and/or behavior. As Lao Tzu once quoted, "You cannot learn from a good book, because a book will not tell you what you do not want to hear."

WHAT ARE THE ETHICAL REASONS TO BECOME CERTIFIED?

The unique and profound opportunities of bringing horses to people for the sake of growth and learning is both exciting and serious. Horses can become unpredictable around incongruent emotions and energies within their environment in a way that even an experienced horseperson cannot anticipate. While a person may be competent with horses and/or human development, incorporating the two requires a whole new set of competencies. It is important to respect the horses and humans as sensate beings, each with their own unique perspective. The safety of the horse and human-emotionally, physically and spiritually-is an important and sensitive matter.
          
To make this amazing process accessible to the public it is important that we collaborate and learn together to develop a consistent industry standard. It is also important to respect what experts in the field who are committed to developing this discourse have already learned. The more that we learn from each other and share our experiences, the more Equine Guided Education will develop and flourish as a respectable and important part of human learning and growth.

           While some professionals may have extensive horsemanship and coaching skills, the EGE process creates a whole new paradigm for learning. While the EGE process is unique and profound, it can also complex and unpredictable. A complete paradigm shift in consciousness and learning takes place. An EGE professional needs to be skilled in recognizing even the slightest shifts in states of mind and energetic responses in the horse, human and environment at any given moment. It is essential to have experience or knowledge in the EGE process before attempting to facilitate the process. Even for professionals with extensive horsemanship skills, one must unlearn many of the horsemanship skills they have been taught in order for EGE to be successful. This makes the certification program relevant to all professionals.

HORSE HUMAN COMPETENCY

    A certified Equine Guided Educator demonstrates through curriculum vitae and enrollment in an Equine Guided Education program that he/she has studied to be either the horse specialist, human specialist, or both. An individual who does not already have extensive equine or human development skill should not expect to become competent to work with people and horses on the certification program alone. For example, a horse trainer who completes the certification program can become an Equine Guided Educator who is competent as an equine specialist. A certified coach who attends the certification program can become an Equine Guided Educator who is competent as a human development specialist.

                A person who does not have certified experience in horses or human development needs to take on additional learning in either the human or horse component. We can help you make those choices in your professional development. You do not have to have other credentials first, as this program will help you gain clarity on the type of work you want to do and the skills you want to develop.

               Because of the inherent risks involved with equine activities it is essential that an experienced equine specialist be present at any process in which a student/client is near or around horses. If the Equine Guided Educator is not a horse expert, then he/she needs to partner with someone who is. Even with an equine specialist present the Equine Guided Educator needs to have some experience with horses. He/she needs to be comfortable around horses and understands the basic safety issues associated with horses. Ideally the equine specialist should also be an Equine Guided Educator, and at a minimum should have some personal experience in EGE.

APPLICATION PROCESS


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