Step 4 Therapeutic Riding Option

LEVEL: 4

CREDIT VALUE:6​

Do you dream of becoming a therapeutic riding instructor who can help people to improve not just their physical health but their mental health too? Are you finding it almost impossible to access this kind of training in the UK? Are you looking for an accredited, nationally recognised course? Well, look no further!

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Lindsey Crosbie has 20 years' of experience as a riding instructor, working with both able-bodied and disabled clients of all ages and abilities in the UK and abroad. She is a Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship International certified therapeutic riding instructor and the only instructor in Europe to hold Hooves for the Heart certification that enables her to use horse riding as a means of addressing trauma.

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Through an intensive 5-day residential course and accompanying online course you can learn to become a riding instructor specialising in either:

1. Disability
2. Mental Health Issues
3. Children with Challenging Behaviour

You will work with trained therapeutic riding horses to learn coaching, facilitation and behaviour modification techniques. You will get hands on practice in all areas of therapeutic riding including safe mounting and dismounting procedures, adaptive tack, task analysis, contraindications and safety precautions as well as a theoretical grounding in the science of why therapeutic riding is such a successful intervention for a range of client demographics. Learning outcomes:

• ​Understand the different models used to involve equines in learning and therapy.
• Describe the differences between adaptive riding, therapeutic riding and hippotherapy.
• Demonstrate awareness of the ethical and safety considerations involved when working with equines and vulnerable people.
• Detail how to select an appropriate horse for a range of different participants.
• Demonstrate a variety of emotional regulation techniques.
• Use and select tack and adaptive equipment appropriately.
• Critically evaluate teaching strategies and techniques.
• Know the various mounting and dismounting procedures.
• Know how to assess and screen participants.
• Plan, deliver and evaluate therapeutic riding lessons.
• Analyse and evaluate a variety of learning and evaluation tools.
• Demonstrate person centred practice and equine advocacy.