The Movement of the Horse – Understanding Equine Health, Performance and Training in Equine Assisted Services

Facilitator

Leo Powell

Irish Field

Session 1 – Equine Movement and Groundwork Training with Terri Brosnan and Rupert Isaacson

This session will illustrate the importance of equine groundwork and movement for both the welfare and the performance of the horse, and the neuroscience behind this training for the rider, particularly in relation to Equine Assisted Services.

Terri Brosnan

Terri Brosnan is head of the Equine Assisted Therapy Unit in ChildVision, the national education centre for visually impaired children in Ireland. Terri has a lifetime of equine experience having worked as an instructor, yard manager, and business and marketing consultant to the equine industry. In ChildVision she has assembled a team of equine specialists and therapists, working together to provide a unified approach to equine assisted services. She is one of the founders of Equine Assisted Ireland and is a member of the AIRE (Association Irish Riding Establishments) executive council. With Childvision, she has recently developed a syllabus for a new education program for AIRE and Horse Sport Ireland to upskill existing riding instructors to Therapeutic Riding Coaches.

Rupert Isaacson

Rupert Issacson has developed cutting-edge approaches to Autism, ADHD, Trauma, and other Neuro-Psychiatric and Neuro-Divergent conditions using horses. Rupert is an accomplished author and public speaker. His autism programs include the Horse Boy Method (equine therapy for the nervous system and brain), Horse Boy Learning (kinetic learning K-12), and Movement Method (how to activate the learning centres of the brain through specific physical activities). All based on sound neuroscience, these approaches, now practised in over 30 countries, build to produce lasting success in quality of life. They are fast replacing the more rigid therapeutic modalities because of the achieved results in the home, in the classroom and in life.

Session 3 – Ulster University – Equine Facilitated Therapy education for Allied Health Professionals and how it is applied in practice’

The third and final session of the event will provide information on Equine Facilitated Therapy education for Allied Health Professionals and how it is applied in practice. Using the equine simulators at CAFRE, the movement of the horse, the potential benefits to clients and the practical implications of the training will be demonstrated.

Orlagh Daly

Orlagh Daly is a HCPC registered Occupational Therapist and a member of Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT). Orlagh is an Occupational Therapy Lecturer as well as Course Director at Ulster University.  Orlagh completed the Department of Health funded pilot course in Equine Facilitated Therapy and has been involved in developing the post graduate modules in Equine Facilitated Therapy at Ulster University.  Orlagh is also a committee member of Equine Facilitated Occupational Therapy UK (EFOT-UK).

Clare McMonagle

Clare McMonagle is also an Occupational therapy Lecturer at Ulster University. The remainder of her time is spent in private practice as director of Gortilea Social Farm CIC.  There, Clare leads a team to deliver person centred interventions including social farming placements, nature-based learning programmes and Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning through individual and group interventions. She works in partnership with local riding schools and Riding for the Disabled organisations. Clare has recently completed a MSc in Advancing Practice with research in this area and hopes to continue to build on this work.