Leonardo Da Vinci Project
A European qualification framework for practice and training in Animal Mediated Assistance and Therapy (AMAT)
Leonardo Da Vinci Project
A European qualification framework for practice and training in Animal Mediated Assistance and Therapy (AMAT)
A students experience in the EU working group
On 7-8-9 octobre 2011 a international meeting took place in Soerendonk Holland.
I'll tell you about my experiences on the 7th of octobre. That day there was a workshop.
Agenda: a guided tour and a workshop with the subject Training SHP Equitherapy.
Halfway the morning the first participants from Belgium, France, Germany and Slovakia arrived. After a nice cup of coffee the guided tour startet.
Ulrike Thiel guided her guests around her domain. Everybody was interested in, as well the buildings, as the herd of horses and how they were kept.
It came clear that our trainingschool is also an example for the keeping and the treatment of the therapyhorse. The therapyhorses are traininghorses as well. During the training the students learn from the horses.
After the tour we discussed about the training, the role of the horse in the training and the way of working with the horse in the training.
Our students learn to continually develop a triangular relationship as therapist, beween himself, the horse and the client during the therapeutic process. As a student I could tell about my own experiences in the training.
Workshop.
The programm with the horse Prisca:
Movement, perception of self awareness and communication exercises and games, alone and with partner(s) during a movement dialogue with the horse.
At the beginning the participants had to adjust a little, but soon enough the activity's were fun and everybody got relaxed. Everybody spontaneously was willing to try and cooperate.
Everyone got the opportunity to experience the equitherapy as required by SHP.
At last everyone could express the experiences with a drawing. In training we also learn to express our experiences in that manner. Also we learn how to talk about the clients' drawings with our clients.
My experience of the day was:
I had not met anyone before, the participants were strangers to me. After the workshop with the horse I was at ease with the company. Within the team, we gained positive energy to go to work in the following weekend.
What did I learn 
· My knowledge about my own training has increased.
· I had the opportunity to tell about my own experiences in the training with foreigners.
· I've witnessed the rol of the horse in achieving a constructive dynamics in a team. That especially was a wonderful experience.
Maria van Eijk
