The course requirements

... when you apply for the one-year course leading to qualification as an equine assisted therapist are as follows:

• minimum age 19 years
• qualification in the social services sector, e.g.: teacher/educator/remedial teacher, speech therapist, ergotherapist, physiotherapist, social worker etc. (If you do not have such a qualification, please read the next section.)
• you have your own horse or you have regular access to a horse which is settled, calm and reliable (During practical instruction sessions at igogo you will, of course, have access to our therapy horses.)
• access to riding facilities
• basic equestrian skills such as: being able to manage and ride the horse at all paces, basic longeing work
• confidence in managing horses outdoors

What if I have no previous experience in a relevant field?

Are you interested in the course but have no experience or training in the social or educational sectors? You can make up for this by enrolling in our 1½-year course which includes work experience in suitable surroundings. Participants spend a total of 100 hours in an appropriate institution or organization such as:

• a day-care centre
• a home for disabled people
• a kindergarten with integrative groups
• ...

You don't have to obtain your work experience at a place where horseback riding therapy is practised. The main thing is to find out what it is like dealing with children, young people and adults, their parents and relatives and about official requirements and procedures. Of course, the contacts you make here may still be very useful for your future employment prospects.

This variant runs parallel with the one-year course, but the examination takes place 6 months later. If you can already provide evidence of having completed a suitable period of work experience, you may also take the examination after one year.

We do not require you to present a certificate of equestrian competence from an official federation. This does not mean that we don't expect you to have any such skills at all. However, we know that there are many different ways of becoming a good horseman or horsewoman, e.g. via the western, Iberian or Icelandic riding styles, so we do not wish to set up unnecessary barriers. Incidentally, a propos 'good horsemanship': We offer training courses with Carlos Lopes, the Chef d'Equipe of the Portuguese Olympic Dressage Team. A course under the tutelage of Carlos Lopes is an unforgettable equestrian experience for anybody who wishes to improve his her riding skills, never mind what their present degree of ability may be.