A decade of practice: What it means that we're Eagala-certified

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You don't usually walk into a place like ours and ask to see credentials

But you should be able to know they exist.

Equine-assisted learning is still unfamiliar territory for most people. You can't really tell, from the outside, whether what's happening in an arena is grounded in something rigorous or whether it's just kind people with horses and donkeys. So before we tell you about our programs or our partners — Autumn, Poe, Momma, and Sophie — we want to tell you what stands behind the work.

We're Eagala-certified

Our Executive Director, Suzanne MacPhail, has held her Eagala certification since October 2015 — more than a decade of continuous training, ethics commitments, and professional development.

Eagala — the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association — is the largest global network for equine-assisted work, with nearly 2,000 certified professionals across 40 countries. It's widely recognized as a leading framework for ethical, evidence-informed practice in this field.

What the certification actually requires

Becoming Eagala-certified isn't a weekend course. It's structured training in both the theory and the practice of the Eagala Model, paired with a binding commitment to a Code of Ethics that governs how facilitators work with both people and equines. Certification renews on a regular cycle, with continuing education built in.

The model rests on four principles, and these shape everything we do at Hands for Healing Equine:

• Team approach. Every session involves a mental health professional, an equine specialist, and the equines themselves. No one works alone with a participant, and no one role overrides another.

• Ground-based. No riding. The work happens on foot, alongside our equines — which makes it accessible, low-barrier, and adaptable to nearly any participant.

• Solution-oriented. Facilitators don't interpret what's happening for you. We trust that the answers — for whatever you're navigating — already live inside you. Our job is to hold the space where they can surface.

• Code of Ethics. Equines are partners, not tools. Their welfare is non-negotiable, and their participation is treated with the same care as any human in the room.

What this means for you

If you're considering a program, Eagala certification means you're stepping into a space governed by clear, internationally recognized standards — not a free-form experience where someone with a horse and a good heart is improvising. The container is real, even when the work feels gentle.

If you're a donor or partner, it means your support funds a practice that meets — and is committed to maintaining — those standards. The certification isn't ornamental. It requires renewal, ongoing education, and accountability to a global body. We hold ourselves to it because the people and equines in our care deserve nothing less.

The credential isn't the point — it makes the point possible

What we hope you remember from a session at Hands for Healing Equine isn't our framework or our certification. It's whatever shifted in you when you stood next to Momma and felt your shoulders drop. It's the thing Sophie noticed before you did. It's the moment Autumn or Poe came over, on their own terms, and decided to stay.

The credential is what lets that work happen safely, ethically, and well. We're proud of it — and we wanted you to know it's there. Learn more about our programs and see it in action.

Raise your Hand!