Fundamentals in the Eagala Model

The Eagala organization (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) spans a global network of highly professional and passionate individuals incorporating horses into treatment. Every certified Eagala practitioner is a credentialed Mental Health Professional or Equine Specialist, passing through standardized fundamentals training, assessment, and then certification. Post-training certified practitioners continue their Eagala training and refinement earning continuing education credits with options to do so through networking meetings that often involve practice with horses, webinars, mentor programs, global member meetings, and other continuing education opportunities. Eagala provides resources, education, standards, and support for professionals incorporating horses for mental health and personal or organizational development. It’s a global network–the largest, most established professional organization for equine-assisted psychotherapy and personal development. Eagala’s therapy is exclusively ground-based, meaning there is no riding of the horses. This approach allows the horses to act naturally and make their own choices, making them integral members of the therapeutic team. This dynamic is what makes Eagala sessions so powerful. While our primary reason for staying ground-based is to maximize the therapeutic benefits for clients, it also makes Eagala accessible to clients who have no equine background or experience. Our goal is not to teach riding or horsemanship but to provide an opportunity for the client’s life stories to unfold metaphorically. The horses play powerful characters in this narrative by revealing relationship dynamics or other symbolic aspects of life. Because horses are free to move, they can create shifts in the client’s stories and bring about awareness and change. Their freedom to move allows them to influence clients’ stories, fostering awareness and facilitating change.