Sorry this might be long
My D is halfway through her undergrad program at a well regarded university. From Day 1 she has felt that the academic style has not been a good fit. Socially and horse wise it has been wonderful. She feels at this point she is wasting our money and her time at a a school that just isn’t working for her.
She is proposing taking time off to figure out what direction she would like to go. She is torn between animal science and psychology and at this point in her schooling a decision would need to be made. She isn’t ready to make it.
She has read and experienced once equine assisted therapy. It is something that interests her. It doesn’t appear a clear path. She is realizing that to she would need to get a undergrad degree and a graduate degree in psychology or in Ca a MFT. Another route would be to just get a certificate in the horse handler portion. You would need to work in conjunction with a licensed therapist.
Leading to the question- Eagala model. Anyone have experience in this method? There is a 3 day program this spring in an area near her school. I am thinking it might be worth trying.
Another area of interest is horse massage.
I am not a horse person.
Would love feedback if anyone has had experience in these careers.
I have a friend who does equine therapy who came to it from the personal training / life coach side (trained and certified in both). She became a horse person by hobby then the deeper she got into the horse world the more she shifted to equine therapy. It is definitely “a thing” but I have no idea about official training and certifications.
There are people who do equine therapy with able bodied individuals and another field of assistive equine therapy for special populations with cognitive disabilities.
Here is the example of that in my neck of the woods
http://www.littlebit.org/
I have several clients who are horse people and their horses have massage therapists and chiropractors. Again, I don’t know what certifications it takes only that in the right circles these are real, valuable skills. You have to be in the right horsey community though where the money lives.
Saint fan- thank you. She has observed or volunteered at both types of therapy. It is hard for me to direct her since I have only the knowledge I find via google.
Saint fan- I have observed of the great lengths some horse people go to for their horse. I know in the case of my D her horse has had massage, accupunture and other types of therapies.
So it sounds like you know as much/more about it than I do. Aside from the actual therapy skills a lot of it I gather is the business angle and setting yourself up amongst those who can and will pay you for your skills. Good luck to her!