Equine Assisted Learning

Healing Hooves & Paws offers individual and group sessions for both children and adults on our serene, private property in Mariginiup. Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) is an experiential learning approach where clients are offered safe experiences with horses in order to develop social-emotional skills and personal and professional development (ie, leadership skills and team building).We provide an opportunity to evolve problem-solving skills, resilience, self-confidence, self-awareness and self-esteem through activities such as observation of horses, meeting with horses at liberty, touching & grooming, leading, led mounted sessions and creative activities with horses (build/create obstacle courses, paint/chalk a horse, Potions of Emotions -treats for horses, plaiting, bubble baths etc). 

Sessions can be booked one at a time, or can be booked as a block of sessions. 

Sessions generally run for up to an hour. 1hr one-on-one sessions are $120.

Courses are run over a period of 1 to 4 weeks, with a 1.5 to 4 hour session per week. Please contact us for further details and prices. 

The Horse Wisdom Program is a structured social-emotional learning program and is offered as a block of 7 sessions to support client's skill building, including managing stress, emotional regulation, empathy, social skills and boundary setting. (Please see 'Horse Wisdom Program' brochure for more information) 

For children and adolescents with Additional Needs, traditional EAL sessions and the Horse Wisdom Program can be modified to suit the individual. We also offer other sessions such as Potion of Emotions and Protective Behaviours sessions, which can be incorporated upon request. (Please see 'EAL for Youngsters and the Young at Heart' brochure for more information) 

For school groups or clients seeking Equine Education and/or Farm life skills, we offer various courses ranging from one day courses, to a 4 week block with sessions run once a week. (Please see 'EAL Courses for School Groups and Individuals' brochure for more information or contact us to receive a Program outline) 

Learning Goals and Therapeutic Goals can be discussed and incorporated into your sessions. 

By building a trusting relationship and connection with horses, clients learn how to better relate to themselves, each other and the environment.   

EAL’s offer services and programs that focus on increasing clients’ quality of life, supporting relationship skills, improving organisational and/or leadership skills. EAL services are a great fit, for many individuals, including those receiving NDIS support, people looking for personal growth and development services, and for corporate teams and managers. 

Who can attend EAL?  
Children and adults.   

People with Additional Needs/Disabilities 

NDIS participants who are either Plan managed or Self managed clients 

School Groups 

Corporate teams 

Leaders and Managers 

Personal Growth 

Personal Development clients 

Organisations                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
     

Sessions Offered (each client session is unique and not always structured, the feelings and thoughts of both the client and horse will lead the way) 

• Open/Unstructured session (see where today's feelings and thoughts take you) 
• Meet a horse at liberty (to discover feelings, sensations, awareness and boundaries) 
• Observation of horse(s) (regulation, awareness, boundaries) 
• Grooming, Touching & Leading (regulation, awareness, boundaries, social-emotional skills, safe relationships) 
• Lead mounted (breathing, body and feeling awareness) 
• Obstacle Challenge (invite your horse to navigate your creative obstacle course to discover feelings and problem-solving skills) 
• Projection Experience (build creative representations to express your feelings or 'safe' place, then invite your to horse to experience them with you) 
• Grooming, Brushing & Plaiting a horse (regulation, awareness, boundaries, relationships) -Potions of Emotions (create horse treats to understand feelings and how to cope with them) 
• Protective Behaviours – Feeling safe, Staying safe (for children with additional needs) 
• Read a book to an animal (self-confidence) 
• Paint a horse   
• Chalk a horse 
• Bubble Baths (weather permitting)    

Courses Offered (each session is unique and not always structured, the feelings and thoughts of both the client/s and horse will lead the way) 

• Equine Education course and Farm Life & Skills Experience (4hr weekly sessions over 3 weeks) 
• EAL Farm Experience – one day course (4hr session) 
• EAL Horse Wisdom Program-full course (2.5hr weekly sessions over 4 weeks) 
• EAL 3 Step Horse Wisdom Program-short course (1.5hr weekly sessions over 3 weeks)   
   

About Me:

I am an accredited Equine Assisted Learning Practitioner with The Equine and Animal Assisted Psychotherapy Institute, recognised under the AAE – Animal Assisted Education and AAS- Animal Assisted Services. I am the founder and business owner of Healing Hooves & Paws. My husband and I have lived on our private 5 acre property for the past 20 years, raising our three children and tending to various animals. I am a skilled horsewoman with over 38 years experience owning and riding horses. 

I have worked as a Special Needs Education Assistant with the Department of Education for the past 12 years, assisting students with Special needs and behavioural tendencies. I created, implemented and successfully co-ordinated the PLP program (Personal Learners Program) within the school, for students with additional needs and behavioural tendencies for four consecutive years. I also created, implemented and successfully ran the SOTA program (Skills Other Than Academic) for a few disengaged senior students, giving them support and guidance with components of the Horse Wisdom Program. I feel in a school setting, I am not able to implement all the programs I wish to, to help so many students with regulation, awareness, personal boundaries, and relationship implications. 

I have personally experienced and observed the invaluable contributions that animals can assist and support students with. This is when I searched further afield to discover a program called EAL and I haven't looked back! 

For the past 3 years I have continued to work part-time as a SNEA at my school, and successfully   co-ordinating and implementing weekly Equine Assisted Learning sessions with groups of students from Alta1. My next step is to expand my new found business of Healing Hooves & Paws. I welcome you to come and experience a session with myself and my animals on my private 5 acre property, to appreciate the power of the animal kingdom.
My personal mission: I have a great passion to help people live a healthy, happy life, and to be accepted for who they are.  I wish to share my horses with others, to help improve their quality of life, feel valued, build confidence, build resilience, and understand where they fit it. Horses can see the real you, being seen is an incredibly healing experience.
My business mission: To offer Psycho-education and Social-emotional skills building in the areas of Self-regulation, Awareness, Feelings, Boundaries, Re connection, Relationships, Helpful thinking patterns and Managing challenges in life, with my horses and other animals, in a trusting, creative environment to suit all ages and personalities.

At Healing Hooves and Paws, we offer a nurturing environment which encourages you to explore your feelings and emotions and support you to cope with life's challenges whilst acquiring a sense of calm and balance.