Equine Facilitated Wellness & Equine Assisted Therapy Programs

Equine Facilitated Wellness activities incorporate horses experientially for healing, personal growth & development and learning. It is a collaborative approach involving a mental health professional, equine specialist and horses to enable participants to achieve their goals.

Equine Facilitated Wellness is a form of Animal Assisted Therapy which incorporates interactions with specially-selected and trained horses into a healing setting and relationship. All interactions are carefully supervised and are designed in accordance with each client’s therapeutic needs and objectives. Clients often have a variety of mental health, or emotional challenges including: trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, history of abuse, grief, loss and life transitions. We work with children (8 and up) teens and adults.

Equine Facilitated Wellness is based on unconditional positive respect and empathy for the client and the entire team including the horses, equine professional and mental health practitioner have extensive training and experience. This experiential approach is based on the fact that people learn best by doing, and the focus on the client-horse connection is unique from any other form of therapeutic relationship.

We also offer team-building workshops, womens’ empowerment groups, teen groups focusing on specific issues such as bullying, body-image, suicide-awareness, self-esteem, etc.

As research advances in this field, Prance staff will continue to be leaders in participating with the development of standards, scope of practice and support of best practice, professional training and certification in Canada. Members of the Equine Facilitated Wellness Team have extensive training and experience from a variety of professional and equine-related programs and are members of Equine Facilitated Wellness Canada and the Ontario and Canadian Equestrian Associations.

Equine Assisted Therapy

Equine Assisted Therapy is a form of counselling which is also based around interaction with horses and is now recognized and supported by most major insurance companies providing a unique alternative form of psychotherapy. PRANCE has partnered with Rebecca Brown, an experienced clinical social worker and certified Equine Assisted Therapist to provide this evidence-based model of counselling to the community, complimenting the variety of equine therapeutic programs PRANCE offers. Proven to reduce symptoms of trauma, anxiety, depression and other stress-related issues.

Rebecca’s work is recognized by most major insurance companies, including Health Canada for First Nations People under the NIHB Program, Victim’s Services, Blue Cross for Veterans and First Responders. With registration through the Ontario College of Registered Social Workers, membership in the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association and certification by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) this ensures the highest standards of care.

More information about Equine Assisted Therapy is available on the EAGALA website: www.eagala.org

PRANCE is proud to be the leader in Bruce & Grey Counties in offering this quality and variety of Equine Facilitated Programming.

Contact the Coordinator of the Equine Facilitated Wellness Program and we will design the best
program to meet your needs.