Best Practice in Equine Facilitated Interventions- Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Best Practice in Equine Facilitated Interventions- Education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Cooperation between educational institutions and business; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

Introduction: The main objective of this project is to extend and develop the competences of educators and to compare current European Partners Education models offered in the field of Equine Facilitated Interventions later referred as EFI’s.The field of EFI’s encompasses several equine assisted therapies, activities and educational programs offered to individuals with special needs. Currently there is no European regulation or standardisation in this area. We believe this Best Practices project is an important step to take to provide transparency, efficiency and safety in current education and training provided. It is envisaged that by providing such transparency it will further increase trans –European employability. Currently a lack of standardisation may have detrimental effect not only on those availing of these services, but also on the area of research as well as those taking part in the education and training.

Methods: This project is aimed primarily at the educators and trainers which makes a total of 19 participants bringing a varied background of expertise in research, teaching and rehabilitation to the project content. The partners who will be joining this project will be provided with the space to share ideas as well as gain knowledge from one another. It is proposed that by collaborating in this way that partners can stand to gain a great deal from each other in relation to each organisations current curriculum model, programme overview and research basis. It is also proposed that in learning more about what each country offers may open the door to learners qualified from partnering countries to travel and partake in internships and training by collaborating in this way. The teaching methods utilized in this project will include direct observation, demonstrations, hands on learning, presentations and group discussions of key elements of best practice in EFI.

Results: on successful completion of this project educators and trainers will develop their individual skills and competences, which will help them to improve their capacity to carry out effective training. Partner organizations will have identified models of good practices in the delivery and execution of EFI VET and this information will be disseminated within each partner organisation and other organisations working with the same or similar target groups in the partner organisation’s country. Partner organisations will be able to identify models of good practices in the monitoring and evaluation of their own training programmes and to make alterations to their curricula if needed. A proposal of standard of best practice in education and training will be developed through collaboration and transparency in EFI education.

Conclusion: This project will allow target groups to benefit from the collective knowledge, research and experience of several European Education and Training providers who will aspire to provide training and education at a high standard thus enabling transparency and recognition at a European level. Finally the project aims to utilise the shared knowledge and experience to potentially open the doors to the further development of agreed key standards and competencies required in the safe and effective provision of education and training in EFI’s in Europan level.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 76780 Eur

Project Coordinator

Suomen ratsastusterapeutit ry & Country: FI

Project Partners

• The Federation of Horses in Education and Therapy International AISBL
• Associazione Lapo ONLUS
• POLSKIE TOWARZYSTWO HIPOTERAPEUTYCZNE
• Festina Lente