Can We Talk About Equine Assisted Services?

Equine Assisted Services (EAS) is becoming increasingly visible across the equestrian sector. Riding schools are being asked about it, some are considering adding EAS to their provision, and terminology such as EAL, EFL, equine-assisted therapy and therapeutic riding is increasingly being used.

But what actually is EAS – and what isn’t it?

Join Jo Considine, Director of Equine Assisted Services at Team Tutsham and an ABRS+ Trustee, for a practical and thought-provoking introduction to this developing area.

Jo will explore the important distinction between an inclusive riding lesson, an activity that happens to be therapeutic, and a properly planned equine-assisted intervention. She will look at why EAS is not necessarily about riding and why the starting point should be the needs and intended outcomes of the individual, rather than simply asking what we can teach them to do with a horse.

The webinar will also consider who should deliver EAS. An excellent riding coach will not automatically have the specialist skills needed to work with people with complex SEN, SEMH, trauma or other support needs. Developing a strong EAS service may therefore mean bringing together equine expertise with professionals from education, youth work, mental health, social care and other disciplines.

Jo will cover professional standards, qualifications and scope of practice; the important distinction between therapeutic interventions and therapy; safeguarding and supervision; measuring outcomes; and the role of equine welfare. She will also explain where EASP, the Human Equine Interaction Register (HEIR) and the ABRS+ EAS approval pathway fit.

For riding schools considering EAS, the session will provide a useful starting point for thinking about the people, horses, partnerships and structures needed to develop a service responsibly.

Who should attend? Riding school proprietors and managers, coaches, EAS practitioners and anyone interested in developing or better understanding Equine Assisted Services.