Learn Equine Touch: Course Structure
THE HORSE OWNER AND PRACTITIONER ROUTE COURSES
First and foremost all Equine Touch practical courses are open to anyone wishing to learn the Equine Touch to help make a difference to their own horse. In fact, many of our Practitioners came to Equine Touch for exactly that reason but ended up completing the Practitioner Training programmes in order to help other people's horses and to work alongside professionals in the horse industry.
As a HORSE OWNER, attending only the practical classes can be equally rewarding. Discovering that a simple technique can bring about profound reactions can be life changing for both horse and owner.
The practical element is exactly the same in both cases. For those choosing the 'PROFESSIONAL ROUTE', students must complete all three practical programmes: Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced along with all the related home study covering Anatomy and Physiology, Theory of Equine Touch™ and the recording of Case Studies. A practical assessment is taken at each stage. At the end of the Advanced programme, the student can apply for their Equine Touch Practitioner license. Each programme is a unit in its own right and enables students to take their training as far as they want to go. Our dedicated Team of Instructors are there to guide students every step of the way.
To maintain a license to practice professionally, liability insurance must be obtained to allow professional practice and all practitioners must keep up to date with annual/biennial CPD.
The only pre-requisite for Equine Touch training is that you must be over 18. As the courses involve practical work around horses it is expected that applicants would have some experience to that end.
More information about Equine Touch is available in the Student Prospectus which incidentally includes details of our Human (VHT) and Canine (CT) training courses
Brief Course Overview
Foundation (Level 1) Course
The Equine Touch Foundation (Level 1) course is available in TWO formats -
A standard 3 day course or
Split into two 2-day courses
Overall content is exactly the same.
Foundation (Level 1) 3 days – Cost £360
Students are introduced to the Equine Touch 'move', practicing on each other before transposing these basic procedures on the equine. By the end of the course the student will be able to carry out a full basic body balancing routine and be able to apply six Area of Concern procedures. Over the 3 days, students will also learn about the ethos behind Equine Touch and what makes it tick. A detailed user-friendly manual is provided which contains diagrams, photographs and instructions on how to perform all foundation procedures. Upon completion, a certificate of attendance is issued.
Foundation (Level 1) Split Part 1 – 2 days - Cost £200 Part 2 – 2 days - Cost £200
During Equine Touch Foundation Part 1 students cover the human body work and learn the full basic body balancing routine and ethos behind Equine Touch as for the standard 3 day course. Part 2 teaches additional skills to support the basic work of Part 1. Part 2 will normally be scheduled 8 weeks or so after Part 1. Some students may feel Part 1 is all they want to learn and can attend Part 2 sometime in the future if they change their mind. NB For students wanting to register on the Practitioner Route, both parts need to be completed before home study can begin.
Why Two Formats
The split Foundation class was introduced by ETF as a means of making the learning of Equine Touch even more attractive and accessible, especially to the horse owner, since it was originally to the horse owner that Equine Touch was meant to appeal. The 2 day course has become a popular choice as a taster; for the client who wants to learn the basics at an affordable price enabling them to keep their horse topped up between practitioner visits, and for folk who find 3 days hard to fit in with other work commitments. It really boils down to personal choice as to whether a student opts for the split course or the standard 3 day one.
Should a student complete Foundation (Level 1) and choose to go no further they will have everything they need to make a difference to their own horse. It is having the basic skills from this level that is essential for all our practitioners. Never money wasted!
Intermediate (Level 2) 3 days – Cost £375
After refreshing and fine tuning the basic body balance the student is then introduced to several new advanced procedures designed to address areas of concern both on the horse and the human. The student is also introduced to an advanced body balance. A very detailed manual is provided and an attendance certificate issued on successful completion.
Advanced (Level 3) 2 days – Cost £280
Prior to attending the Advanced course the student must be competent using both basic and advanced body balances without learning aids as a full review of both balances plus all the area of concern procedures learned to date is expected. The Advanced course teaches a number of new procedures and helps to lock in place all the jigsaw pieces from previous levels. By this stage, students will be starting to ask questions about the whys and the wherefores of applying Equine Touch procedures in different situations and developing an understanding of the value of knowing how and when to apply these skills to help the horse. An attendance certificate is issued on successful completion.
To find out more about the Equine Touch Practitioner Route in UK & Ireland click HERE
Supplementary Courses and Training by ETF
Equine Touch & Beyond (Taught by Ivana Ruddock-Lange) Course length and cost may vary
The Equine Touch & Beyond (Level 4) is taught only by Dr Ivana Ruddock-Lange (DVM), the Equine Touch co-Founder. This course offers Ongoing Professional Development for all practitioners and in fact anyone who has completed the Advanced course and just wants to learn more! New procedures and ways of addressing the equine body are taught as well as giving students the confidence to really ‘feel’ what is going on in the body and to be able to take on board ‘the bigger picture’ rather than just focusing on a single line of address. This is always an ‘exciting clinic’ for although there is a manual and those procedures are indeed taught, often the method of approach can vary due to the picture that the equine subjects on the class present to us.
Equine Touch Mobilisation and Stretching Course 1 day – Cost £130
The art of mobilisation, both passive and active, as well as stretching passive/active/reactive are covered in this one day course using the unique supportive choreography and techniques developed by Jock Ruddock over the years. In 2002 as a result of an old wrestling ring injury Jock found himself in pain from a degenerative disc in his neck which caused a loss of strength and withering in his left arm and as a result he had to develop a style of stretching which allowed him to continue his work in safety, not only for himself but also for the horse. This style has been demonstrated successfully all around the world, the success of this style accompanied by Ivana’s detailed carrot stretching technique has seen the publishing of a 54 page fully illustrated manual as well as a professionally produced DVD on the subject and the creation of this one day class for interested horse owners and Equine Touch students and professionals. Taught by Ivana and Equine Touch trained instructors the student will learn the physiology behind the joint, the necessity of warming up the horse, mobilisation prior to stretching, and when to use and when not to use these procedures. No form of bodywork is complete without addressing mobilisation and stretching which is a major tool on its own.
Whole Horse Dissection Course – (Ivana Ruddock-Lange) 3 days – Cost will vary
Visit https://ivanaruddock-lange.com/ to find out more about Ivana, and if you use Facebook, enjoy Ivana's Equine Anatomy in Layers which is evolving all the time thanks to Ivana's ongoing experience, research and findings following Dissection classes all round the world. It is likely that up and coming dates will be advertised through these means.
Important Addendum
Students: All the above clinics were originally designed for vets as another tool to support their licensed practice and then for owners who wished to provide a better quality of life for their horses. As the laws relating to any form of bodywork vary from country to country, state to state and county to county, it is the responsibility of every student to make themselves aware of any legal requirement which could relate to them when using this or any other form of equine bodywork.
Practitioners: Upon achieving the status of Equine Touch Practitioner it must be remembered at all times that in order to work within the horse care world, it is essential that all qualified Equine Touch Practitioners accept that it is their personal responsibility to be aware of the legalities surrounding their practice, especially as laws are continually changing, amending, tightening or relaxing. Equine Touch students may not call themselves by the ‘Practitioner’ © title, which is subject to copyright, unless they are qualified and members of IETA. They must remember at all times that a diploma in Equine Touch is not a license to practice.
ETF (the Equine Touch Foundation) make no claims or promises that after attending these courses that a student will find employment as an Equine Touch Practitioner, particularly if this would not be permitted or licensed under local or national law.
