ABSTRACT
Providing equine-assisted therapy is a nuanced specialty. Appropriating another species to work in a human healthcare setting necessitates an additional level of training and education, both to protect the animal and the patient, and to safely and ethically provide the service. This chapter provides an outline for the base competencies all professionals should be able to demonstrate prior to including horses in human healthcare. These competencies include in-depth knowledge of horses and horsemanship skills, risk management practices, specific equine-assisted therapy education and training, and both animal and patient advocacy. This chapter also reviews the many training and certificate programs available to professionals, as well as credentialing bodies, membership organizations, and universities offering degrees or coursework in equine-assisted therapy.
