Applied Equine Psychology Course

This course offers a solid foundation in applied equine psychology, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to manage and interact with horses in a way that supports both their mental and physical well-being.

EQUINE BEHAVIOUR AFFILIATION

Applied Equine Psychology Course

About The Course

Press Release 2019

This course is the foundation for professional training to become an EBA Registered Equine Psychology Specialist, but is also appropriate for other equine professionals and horse owners who wish to expand their knowledge, skills and competence to benefit the horses around them.

As a student, you will be provided with a solid foundation in applied equine psychology. You will be supported in the practical application of tried-and-tested psychological models with your horse(s) as a result of lectures, coursework, individual tuition and practical work. We provide the framework and tools for answering the question ‘how can we help’? any equine who is displaying challenging behaviours, or simply not thriving in their environment.

If you would like to:

better understand horses’ experiences and reactions in a domestic setting
feel more confident about your equine management decisions
improve mental well-being and form healthier relationships with equines

then this course is for you.

The course is designed to complement the book ‘Applied Equine Psychology: the art and science of helping horses’, written by EBA co-founders Felicity George, Dr. Marie-Louise Holmes and Sharon Smith, which is due for release in the summer of 2024.

The competencies you will develop on this course include:

Observing and reflecting on equine body language within a biopsychosocial context.
Assessing and improving domestic environments.
Assessing and improving mental well-being for domestic equines.
Working with trauma.
Practical assessment of healthy equine relationships.
How to build a healthy horse/human relationship and improve attunement with equines.
How to help horses to learn.
Applying Trans-species Systemic Formulation® for your own equines.
Applying equine psychological models and theories to all aspects of day-to-day life with horses.
Developing critical thinking skills and reflective practice.

The main topics covered in the course are:

A simple model for understanding mammalian brains and how stress influences them.
The context in which we evaluate mental well-being; environmental mismatch and other challenges.
Assessing and improving mental well-being.
Attachment theory; horse/horse and horse/human relationships.
Understanding and working with trauma.
Learning theory
Trans-species psychology.
Big picture thinking: The biopsychosocial model.
Trans-species Systemic Formulation^®.
The reflective scientist-practitioner model.

Delivery

The course consists of:

50 online classes. Each class is 2 ½ hours long, and is interactive, including video analysis and many group exercises and discussions. 125 hours in total.
4 individual sessions with a tutor; this helps us to help you to get the most out of the course, and these sessions can be used to discuss any course-related topics.
12 hours of practical work with real horses. Practical sessions are run with small groups. For students who cannot attend live practicals, an additional 6 online sessions will be provided; students will take videos of themselves with horses and these will be discussed.

We can offer some flexibility in delivering practicals and individual sessions to suit individual needs.

Online classes will be on Wednesday evenings, 18.30 – 21.00 UK time. We may be able to offer an additional class time, 11.00 – 1.30 UK time if enough people would find this more suitable.

There will be breaks in teaching throughout the course, so the total duration of the course will be 14 months attending classes, with an exam two months after classes end.

Assessment and Qualifications

Assessment will be done through 10 coursework assignments and a final exam. Students who pass all coursework and the exam will be awarded a ‘Certificate of completion’ by the Equine Behaviour Affiliation. Lantra certification is also available for students in the UK.

Pricing

A deposit of £100 is required to secure your place upon successful application.

Once classes start, there are 14 monthly instalments of £150 to be paid by standing order. This covers all online classes, marking coursework, 1-1 sessions online and practical sessions (or additional 1-1 online sessions for students who cannot attend practicals).

The examination fee is £250, which is only payable when registering to sit the exam. For UK students wishing to register for the optional Lantra certification, there is an additional fee of £100 payable when classes start.

The full cost of the course and exams is £2,550, including Lantra certification.

We welcome applications from all sectors of society. Please contact felicity@equinebehaviouraffiliation.org to discuss any aspect of the course or perceived barriers.

Application Process

We are accepting applications for the 24th August 2024 intake. No prior qualifications are mandatory; applications are reviewed on an individual basis.

Simply fill in the application form and return it to us. Places are limited to 12 per intake because of the interactive nature of the course, so we recommend applying early.

Next course starting August 24th 2024

Felicity George MPhil