What is Equine Facilitated Wellness?
By embracing the ancient wisdom of the horse, we can explore life through their eyes! This relaxed approach to partnering with our equine friends in dismounted activities (no horse experience required; no riding) will also explore arts & crafts, photography, yoga, mindfulness practice, and nature discovery to inspire self-awareness, wellness and personal growth. Facilitated by a professionally certified EFW Coach and experienced horse specialist, these hands-on, ground-based activities will build on our intuition, personal insights and confidence to adjust, adapt and thrive in our everyday lives. Horses, as prey animals, respond honestly and naturally to our behaviours and are experts on the subject of mindfulness. They mirror a mindful state of awareness in the present moment, teaching us how to ‘become our best’ in our interactions with ourselves and others! Horses remind us of the importance of clear leadership, open communication, of being present to develop healthy relationships, and of trusting our inner wisdom and intuition as we positively engage with the world around us!
Colleen Herzog is a professional Equine Wellness coach with the Professional Association for Equine Facilitated Wellness, and lives and teaches in Olds, Alberta, Canada.
“My husband and I have raised our family in the Olds, Alberta area since 1988, working in the human/child services field while volunteering in a number of sports, recreational and health organizations. Over the past 30 years, we have raised our own horses and learned safe and insightful training methods through attending natural horsemanship clinics, participating in riding clubs, and being involved as equine 4-H leaders for over 10 years.
Upon retirement, we became further interested in and drawn toward nature-based animal assisted therapy models. This led to completion of the 5-week certification program and a 100-hour practicum with the Professional Association for Equine Facilitated Wellness between 2017-2020.
Horses require us to be active and focussed on our leadership. They require clear communication, authentic emotional investment, self-confidence and structured mindfulness in our interaction with them. In return, they respond to us clearly and honestly, mirroring our emotions and providing immediate feedback on our behaviour. They honour our efforts and courage while requiring us to remain authentic and consistent in their presence. Surely these are valuable lessons as we grow and prepare to interact with our neighbours, to make commitments and to set goals in our lives.
HORIZON EQUINE EFW officially opened its doors in June 2020. We conducted three EFW youth camps over this past summer, as well as a dozen individual and small group sessions – all while adhering to COVID-19 protocols!”
Colleen is Pro-EFW Certified with the Professional Association for Equine Facilitated Wellness. Colleen has also won Provincial Awards for the research, development and implementation of an Animal-Assisted Therapy program with dogs (empathy-based program) in Calgary named the ‘Paws of Hope’. Colleen is also Standard First Aid certified, along with 20+ years of teaching first aid skills as a St. Johns Ambulance Instructor.
To learn more about Colleen and Horizon Equine EFW, please contact us!
Our mission is to promote leadership development
and confidence through partnering with horses during dismounted, outcome based, hands-on
fun activities. Our vision is to assist children, youth and adults in developing their personal self-
awareness, communication, and problem-solving skills in order to reach their life goals.
Horizon Equine EFW
To learn more about the Professional Association for Equine Facilitated Wellness, please visit their website.