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Testimonials
"My life was changed in 3 seconds... I went from independent working woman and international able-bodied athlete to a disabled woman in a wheelchair with no freedom and total co-dependence on friends, family and sometimes even total strangers! Then came Equest, I connected spiritually with these huge, gentle horses and this helped my heart and soul heal. My courage, internal strength and self confidence was boosted by my ability to get the horse to move and follow my commands. What a wonderful feeling to gain back some independence again. My mental flexibility and problem solving skills have improved a lot due to the fact that I get to ride differenct horses all the time. When I ride, I feel like I have the use of my legs again... yet this time there are 4 working legs!"
Deb Lewin, Equest Rider
What a few of our Instructor Training graduates have to say:
"The Instructor Training Course at Equest is fantastic! Information is presented in classroom as well as hands-on sessions that give an invaluable experience to the instructor. After finishing this course, I felt well equipped to handle a variety of individuals with differing disabilities. Any instructor going through this course will be well served, and I highly recommend it!”
Amy Austin, Head Therapeutic Instructor, Chastain Horse Park, Atlanta, Georgia.
“My interest in the Equest Instructor Training Course was simply to go to the best and receive much needed hands on experience in the equine therapeutic riding field. The course was phenomenal, but not long enough. I graduated from the course Oct. 1, 2004 and left Equest exhausted, excited, much more competent and yearning to know more. The course material was incredibly comprehensive, and the staff was professional, demanding, challenging and encouraging throughout the 6 weeks. I came to Equest desperate to learn more and left with knowledge and experiences that prepared me to pass the NARHA Advanced Certification. But best of all I went home knowing that I was competent enough to utilize a God given gift that would enable me to teach incredible individuals that had been challenged with a disability. It was truly an amazing experience, and I keep coming back for more.”
Shelly Barry, Baton Rouge, La. Founder, Gaitway Therapeutic Horsemanship Center.
“As a person who had been a volunteer for two years and not been to school in 20+ years, I was concerned about attending EQUEST. I knew little or nothing about individuals with disabilities. Upon completing the course, I was confident because I had a firm foundation in teaching techniques. More experience was the next best teacher.”
Mary Jo Beckman, Falls Church, Virginia, NARHA On-site workshop faculty member and evaluator.
“My experience at Equest was one of the best ever! I’m from Mexico, and Therapeutic Riding was almost non-existent there, except for a few Independent instructors. There is only one book about therapeutic riding written in Spanish and that makes it really hard to prepare. Fortunately the staff at Equest was very understanding of the limitations that some of us encounter, like language and proper background knowledge, and they really made an effort to help me understand everything. They work really hard on making the Students absorb all that knowledge and translating it in to practice. So by the end of the course I was confident of what I have learned and was able to start a program from scratch back home! “
Paulina Canez Morales, Therapeutic Riding Instructor, Guadalajara, Mexico.
“I had met several Equest staff members a year before at a certification workshop and was so impressed! Their professionalism, enthusiasm, knowledge, and kind natures confirmed in me the need to study with these folks. I made my decision the last day of the regional conference and my life has never been the same. Returning home, I hurried to make all of the needed preparations. So what would life be without a paycheck for six weeks? Livable. How do you place a value on such an experience? You don't... you just do it! Pulling into the driveway that day in August I knew that I was home. Weird but true! Just few months later, I really was home! The wealth of knowledge, Team Work, compassion, humor, dedication and professionalism, shows the world everyday what a special and important place Equest holds for all who come to learn heal and improve the quality of life for others.”
Jen Donahue, Instructor, Equest Therapeutic Riding Center, Wylie, Texas.
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