"The women visibly grew in confidence each week. It was the first time I had seen some of them smile since they came into the refuge. They didn't just learn to ride. They learn to be assertive, to be courageous and to trust in themselves and their own bodies again." -Women's refuge support worker.

Learn everything you need to provide the tried, tested and peer-reviewed Overcoming Obstacles program at your own location. This training online course is ideal for equine professionals who would like to incorporate therapeutic riding into their work with women who have experienced trauma. Overcoming Obstacles is a therapeutic horsemanship program designed for women and girls who have experienced violence, abuse and coercion.  It uses Horse Agility and Competitive Western Trail riding to build confidence, communication skills and courage. This program is experiential, participants are operating in the moment not processing past events. The Overcoming Obstacles project empowers women to develop skills, learn relaxation techniques, regulate emotions, build confidence and improve mental and physical health so that they can recover and reconnect after trauma. No knowledge of Western riding is necessary to be able to take part.