Equine Assisted Learning or EAL, developed by the Equine Psychotherapy Institute, is an innovative form of experiential learning – where clients develop new insight and learn new skills via relational experiences with horses. EAL can assist in personal development, professional development and developing leadership skills in teams and individuals. EAL is a fast-growing modality across Australia as well as internationally. National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) clients benefit greatly from EAL services as do children and adolescents.
Horses are beautiful, intelligent, sensitive and strong beings who can evoke strong feelings in clients or engage clients in the learning process. Calm and healthy horses can assist in co-regulating a client's nervous system, can model healthy living and expression of feelings, as well as offering non judgemental safety and trust. Horses can offer unique bio feedback and hold clients in a way traditional learning and therapy environments cannot. The natural environment can also contribute positively to learning outcomes for clients.
EAL is particularly beneficial for those that struggle with room based interventions. What are some Benefits of EAL?