Equine Assisted Academy

23/06/2026

21/06/2026

Elsa Sinclair is just amazing… this is why we need to regulate ourselves BEFORE visiting our horses. So that we bring awareness to the functional herd, rather than potentially deregulating them!!

07/06/2026

A beautiful read in what horses offer us if we choose to be curious in this space

One of the biggest surprises horses have given me is this:

The less interested I became in controlling them, the more interested I became in understanding them.

And those turned out to be very different journeys.

Control is mostly about outcomes.

Will the horse do what I want?

Will they go where I ask?

Will they stop, stand, load, move, perform?

Understanding asks different questions.

What matters to this horse?

What brings them joy?

What worries them?

Who are their friends?

What do they notice that I don't?

How do they experience the world?

For a long time, I thought the purpose of relationship was to gain influence.

Now I wonder if the purpose of relationship is to gain perspective.

Because every horse lives in a reality I can never fully access.

They hear things I don't hear.

Smell things I don't smell.

Notice details I walk right past.

Experience life through a nervous system, body, and history that are entirely their own.

And yet, if I pay attention, they offer me little glimpses into that world.

A hesitation.

A preference.

A curiosity.

A concern.

A playful idea.

A quiet no.

A joyful yes.

Tiny windows into a life that is not mine.

Perhaps that is one reason horses are such extraordinary teachers.

Not because they show us how to control another being.

But because they invite us to become curious about a reality beyond our own.

And in a world where everyone seems certain they already understand everything...

curiosity might be one of the deepest forms of love.

01/06/2026

‘Thank you for the incredible resource that you have created in Just Add Horses. I am a UK based psychologist and have recently started offering equine assisted therapy. I did training with another provider which was great, but what I felt I was struggling with was more flexible session planning and ways of measuring and setting goals. My imposter syndrome pushes me into "doing" and I was battling the urge to try and set structure and goals Vs allowing space. You have really clearly incorporated psychological skills-based practice into consent based equine activities and it has helped me feel so much more confident and less like giving it all up! Thank you!’

It's always a nice feeling getting a heartfelt review of my book 'Just Add Horses: An Equine Assisted Learning Guide that Honours the Horse'.

Available on Amazon. Here is Australia's one:

Just Add Horses: The Equine-Assisted Activity Guide that Honours the Horse

25/04/2026

Just a little spa day in the paddock❤️☺️

22/04/2026

Snowy practicing advanced relaxation techniques

18/04/2026

And this is why we teach our clients and students strategies to self-regulate before stepping inside our horses bubble…

01/04/2026

16/03/2026

New Research on Equine-Assisted Learning and Childhood Trauma

A 2025 study published in the Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma explored how equine-assisted learning can support children who have experienced trauma.

Researchers examined a 7-week program called “Resilience Reins”, involving 151 caregivers reporting on children exposed to trauma. The program combined unmounted activities with horses and psycho-educational learning sessions.

Key outcomes reported by caregivers included improvements in:
• Emotional regulation
• Communication skills
• Self-efficacy
• Social behaviour and peer relationships

The study concluded that equine-assisted learning can help children build self-regulation and resilience after traumatic experiences, especially when caregivers are involved alongside children in the program.

Read the study:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40653-025-00747-5

09/03/2026

A testimonial from one of our beautiful students that participated in the December 2025 co-hort.

'Just wanted to share, one month after launching my website and already have 6 sessions a week!! Even a principal from a local school who spent her entire first session yesterday either crying or laughing as the horses put on a huge show for her galloping around the paddock, kicking their legs in the air and snorting madly.. she was terrified of horses but couldn't believe how calm and intrigued she was sitting beside me watching their magnificence .. thank you for giving me this opportunity to share the teachings from the equine with so many who have already benefited.. what a journey!'

This is the reason we do what we do :)