Equine Defined | Equine Touch | Massage Therapist

WHAT IS EAGALA ?

    EAGALA stands for: Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. It was founded in 1999, and has trained thousands of EAGALA professionals worldwide.
    EAGALA's vision statement as stated in their handbook: "EAGALA is dedicated to improving the mental health of individuals, families, and groups around the world by setting the standard of excellence in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy".
     EAGALA is unique because it utilizes a solution oriented approach. This approach is profoundly effective.
     EAGALA believes that participants have the ability to overcome their challenges and find solutions on their own when given the opportunity to do so. It is with this opportunity that clients can learn and grow, realize their potential, and begin to heal. It is then that the possibilities become endless. The EAGALA model offers this opportunity.
The EAGALA team will typically consist of a mental health service provider, an equine specialist, and an individual or small group of horses as co-facilitators.

WHAT IS EQUINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY (EAP)?
    It is a collaborative effort incorporating a licensed therapist or psychiatrist, an equine specialist, and either a single or small group of horses.
    The EAGALA model used for this work is very experientia. This means that the participants will actively be engaged in specially designed activities working with the horses using ground excercises. It is important to know that the focus is on the human skills being developed, not horsemanship skills. There are very minimal instructions given to the participants by the facilitators before each activity. This offers a better chance for the participant to experience the problem solving process and discover what works best for them. These activities will be processed (or discussed) by the participant with their facilitators so that the participants have a chance to learn more about themselves and their relationships to others. The participant can then elate the metaphors of their experience with the horses to their own personal challenges. The horses are a very integral part of the facilitator team and should be allowed to "do their work". The human facilitator's primary function is to provide support for the participants and ensure physical and emotional safety. The facilitators will strive to recognize and encourage spontaneous learning opportunities, and design a learning experience that includes the possibility for the participant to learn from natural mistakes and successes through the horses. It is critical that the facilitators are keenly aware of their own pre-conceptions and biases so as not to interfere with or influence the participants interpretation of the experience, which could drastically change the outcome. The goal is for the participant to be actively engaged in the process by being curious, solving problems, taking on responsibility for self and learning to be creative.
    This allows for metaphorical learning since everything that is done with the horses is focused towards developing those human skills. Those skills can then be applied and related to what is happening at school, work, home and relationships. For example, the participant may interpret a horse walking away from them as meaning that the horse hates them. After some carefully chosen questions posed to the participant, it may become apparent that everytime anything or anyone walks away from them, they interpret it to mean that it is because the horse or person hates them. Through use of metaphoric learning, the participant discovers, on their own, that it could possibly mean something quite the opposite. Perhaps the horse or person heard something that concerned them and they chose to walk away to investigate what they heard. This is just one tiny example of how the EAGALA model can help create life situations through work with the horses. In this safe therapuetic environment the participants have a chance to work through these challenges and struggles, solve problems, and practice new ways of responding to every day situations.
    Equine Assisted Learning and/or EAP provide a powerful, and often cathartic, therapuetic means of offering life changing experiences for individuals, families, youth and even work groups. We often see wonderful results with general behavioral issues, anxiety, attention deficit disorders, eating or substance abuse disorders, communication skills and relationship problems. It is a wonderful tool for employers who are interested in enhancing employee related relationships. There is also a tremendous need for helping returning war veterans and our senior population. Both groups struggle terribly with depression and lonliness and difficulty re-connecting with others.

WHY USE HORSES ?
     Horses have always held our admiration, our imagination, and inspiration. They are powerful, intelligent , and certainly very beautiful. They are also very large and very strong, which creates a natural opportunity for those who have fear and confidence issues. To accomplish a task with such a large and intimidating animal creates wonderful metaphors for ealing with other intimidating situations in life. Imagine the self confidence that can be gained by a successful task accomplished with a 1500 horse!
    Horses are also extremely sensitive to every nuance of their surroundings. They are highly tuned into non-verbal communication and the most minute change in body language and emotion displayed by another horse or human. Horses respond only to what is presented to them "in the momement". They do not have pre-conceived ideas or agendas. Often, during a session, the horses will respond to the participants communication that is presented in that momement, perhaps by becoming agitated or wanting to leave completely. The response of the horses gives the facilitator team a great deal of information. For example, the participant may complain that the horse doesn't like them, or is even stupid because the horse becomes agitated or wants to leave. However, through the use of metaphorical learning during the session, the participant may learn that they are in fact presenting body language or non verbal means of communicating that is causing the response from the horse, and often times causing the same response from the humans in their life. Thus, the horse has provided information that brings about a new awareness of negative behavior and communication patterns that may have caused problems in the past for the participant, and creates an opportunity to learn new means of communication for the future. This is truly work that is based on the interaction between the horses and the participant, not the horse and the facilitators. It becomes very apparent that less is often more in this kind of work. The facilitators role is to be available to provide the opportunities for learning, and bring consciousness to the lessons being learned.

NOTES FROM RENEE:
I have been involved in Equine Assisted sessions for several years now, and each and every time is a gift. It is nothing short of a miracle to watch the magic between the horses and the participants. Often, it is the horses that choose the person they will work with rather than the other way around, and what happens from there - well, you will have to see it to believe it. Many times, the participants have never even been near a horse in their entire life, and really had no expectation of what was going to happen during their experience with the horses. Some participants are afraid, and some are even very skeptical of what is to come. But yet, almost without fail, someone from the group will leave stating that their lives have been changed forever! Maybe they were able to connect to a place in their heart, that was long forgotten, with the help of their equine "therapists". At the end of each session, again without fail, as we all gather to talk about the days events and learnings, the horses gather in the circle right next to the chosen "person" they worked with. It is a sight to see a large circle of people, and the horses are standing in a spot right next to a participant - quietly and patiently listening to each and every person speak. The horses are not made to stand there, they are not placed in the circle with us - they are there because they want to be. They truly enjoy their participation, and I believe they understand exactly what part they play and how very important they are in this work. It is why I love having horses as part of my team, and my life.

I truly hope you will choose to experience an Equine Assisted Learning and Development session
Renee Hogendorf
Certified Level 2 EAGALA Facilitator



	WHAT IS EAGALA ? EAGALA stands for: Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. It was founded in 1999, and has trained thousands of EAGALA professionals worldwide. EAGALA's vision statement as stated in their handbook: "EAGALA is dedicated to improving the mental health of individuals, families, and groups around the world by setting the standard of excellence in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy". EAGALA is unique because it utilizes a solution oriented approach. This approach is profoundly effective. EAGALA believes that participants have the ability to overcome their challenges and find solutions on their own when given the opportunity to do so. It is with this opportunity that clients can learn and grow, realize their potential, and begin to heal. It is then that the possibilities become endless. The EAGALA model offers this opportunity. The EAGALA team will typically consist of a mental health service provider, an equine specialist, and an individual or small group of horses as co-facilitators. WHAT IS EQUINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY (EAP)? It is a collaborative effort incorporating a licensed therapist or psychiatrist, an equine specialist, and either a single or small group of horses. The EAGALA model used for this work is very experientia. This means that the participants will actively be engaged in specially designed activities working with the horses using ground excercises. It is important to know that the focus is on the human skills being developed, not horsemanship skills. There are very minimal instructions given to the participants by the facilitators before each activity. This offers a better chance for the participant to experience the problem solving process and discover what works best for them. These activities will be processed (or discussed) by the participant with their facilitators so that the participants have a chance to learn more about themselves and their relationships to others. The participant can then elate the metaphors of their experience with the horses to their own personal challenges. The horses are a very integral part of the facilitator team and should be allowed to "do their work". The human facilitator's primary function is to provide support for the participants and ensure physical and emotional safety. The facilitators will strive to recognize and encourage spontaneous learning opportunities, and design a learning experience that includes the possibility for the participant to learn from natural mistakes and successes through the horses. It is critical that the facilitators are keenly aware of their own pre-conceptions and biases so as not to interfere with or influence the participants interpretation of the experience, which could drastically change the outcome. The goal is for the participant to be actively engaged in the process by being curious, solving problems, taking on responsibility for self and learning to be creative. This allows for metaphorical learning since everything that is done with the horses is focused towards developing those human skills. Those skills can then be applied and related to what is happening at school, work, home and relationships. For example, the participant may interpret a horse walking away from them as meaning that the horse hates them. After some carefully chosen questions posed to the participant, it may become apparent that everytime anything or anyone walks away from them, they interpret it to mean that it is because the horse or person hates them. Through use of metaphoric learning, the participant discovers, on their own, that it could possibly mean something quite the opposite. Perhaps the horse or person heard something that concerned them and they chose to walk away to investigate what they heard. This is just one tiny example of how the EAGALA model can help create life situations through work with the horses. In this safe therapuetic environment the participants have a chance to work through these challenges and struggles, solve problems, and practice new ways of responding to every day situations. Equine Assisted Learning and/or EAP provide a powerful, and often cathartic, therapuetic means of offering life changing experiences for individuals, families, youth and even work groups. We often see wonderful results with general behavioral issues, anxiety, attention deficit disorders, eating or substance abuse disorders, communication skills and relationship problems. It is a wonderful tool for employers who are interested in enhancing employee related relationships. There is also a tremendous need for helping returning war veterans and our senior population. Both groups struggle terribly with depression and lonliness and difficulty re-connecting with others. WHY USE HORSES ? Horses have always held our admiration, our imagination, and inspiration. They are powerful, intelligent , and certainly very beautiful. They are also very large and very strong, which creates a natural opportunity for those who have fear and confidence issues. To accomplish a task with such a large and intimidating animal creates wonderful metaphors for ealing with other intimidating situations in life. Imagine the self confidence that can be gained by a successful task accomplished with a 1500 horse! Horses are also extremely sensitive to every nuance of their surroundings. They are highly tuned into non-verbal communication and the most minute change in body language and emotion displayed by another horse or human. Horses respond only to what is presented to them "in the momement". They do not have pre-conceived ideas or agendas. Often, during a session, the horses will respond to the participants communication that is presented in that momement, perhaps by becoming agitated or wanting to leave completely. The response of the horses gives the facilitator team a great deal of information. For example, the participant may complain that the horse doesn't like them, or is even stupid because the horse becomes agitated or wants to leave. However, through the use of metaphorical learning during the session, the participant may learn that they are in fact presenting body language or non verbal means of communicating that is causing the response from the horse, and often times causing the same response from the humans in their life. Thus, the horse has provided information that brings about a new awareness of negative behavior and communication patterns that may have caused problems in the past for the participant, and creates an opportunity to learn new means of communication for the future. This is truly work that is based on the interaction between the horses and the participant, not the horse and the facilitators. It becomes very apparent that less is often more in this kind of work. The facilitators role is to be available to provide the opportunities for learning, and bring consciousness to the lessons being learned. NOTES FROM RENEE: I have been involved in Equine Assisted sessions for several years now, and each and every time is a gift. It is nothing short of a miracle to watch the magic between the horses and the participants. Often, it is the horses that choose the person they will work with rather than the other way around, and what happens from there - well, you will have to see it to believe it. Many times, the participants have never even been near a horse in their entire life, and really had no expectation of what was going to happen during their experience with the horses. Some participants are afraid, and some are even very skeptical of what is to come. But yet, almost without fail, someone from the group will leave stating that their lives have been changed forever! Maybe they were able to connect to a place in their heart, that was long forgotten, with the help of their equine "therapists". At the end of each session, again without fail, as we all gather to talk about the days events and learnings, the horses gather in the circle right next to the chosen "person" they worked with. It is a sight to see a large circle of people, and the horses are standing in a spot right next to a participant - quietly and patiently listening to each and every person speak. The horses are not made to stand there, they are not placed in the circle with us - they are there because they want to be. They truly enjoy their participation, and I believe they understand exactly what part they play and how very important they are in this work. It is why I love having horses as part of my team, and my life. I truly hope you will choose to experience an Equine Assisted Learning and Development session Renee Hogendorf Certified Level 2 EAGALA Facilitator