About EAL and EAMH

Horses Guiding Humans currently works with two primary models of Equine Assisted Services: EAGALA and ARCH. Through these models, we offer Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) and Equine Assisted Mental Health (EAMH) services.

What is Equine Assisted Mental Health?

Equine-Assisted Mental Health (EAMH) is a specialty area of practice in which specifically-trained, licensed, mental health professionals provide mental health services in a farm environment working with horses. It is used to address challenges like PTSD, anxiety, depression, addictions, other serious mental illnesses, as well as relationship struggles, phase-of-life issues, parenting, communication, and everyday life concerns.

The term “Equine-Assisted Mental Health” is sometimes used synonymously with “Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy” or “Equine-Assisted Counseling” to broadly describe including horses in mental health services (Hallberg, 2018).

What is Equine Assisted Learning?

Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) is a non-therapy, skills-based service that focuses on teaching life skills, social skills, communication skills, or leadership skills while facilitating personal growth and increased self- awareness through interactions with horses.

Services are provided by educators both credentialed and non-credentialed, life or professional development coaches, spiritual guides, riding instructors, horse professionals, and others.

 “Equine-facilitated learning”, “equine-assisted coaching”, and “equine-facilitated human development” are terms that may be used interchangeably to describe non-therapy equine-assisted services of this nature (Hallberg, 2018).