Are your courses recognised?

The courses in the United Kingdom are recognised by the McTimoney Chiropractic Association and all clinics count towards compulsory annual CPD education. The United Kingdom Equinology Equine Body Worker® certification forms part of the BSc in Equine Sports Therapy which is offered through Writtle College and University of Essex.

In the United States, all Equinology, Inc.  courses are approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) for Continuing Education credits. Equinology, Inc. is also an approved RACE provider (Registry of Approved Continuing Education) and is recognized by the university programme of the USDF (United States Dressage Federation).  In Brazil, the courses are aimed specifically at licensed and student veterinarians.

Who are the teachers on your programme?

Our clinicians are all renowned specialists in their respective fields, so you will receive first-hand information based on the latest research in the field of equine complementary healthcare science.

They come mostly from the United States and travel around the world to teach our classes, not only in the USA, but also in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil and South Africa. So,  you will have the same clinician wherever you decide to take the particular course!

You can find full clinician biographies on the website, on the Clinician Bios page.

Do veterinarians recognise the qualifications?

By law, you can only work on a horse with veterinary permission and/or referral.

It is up to the individual Body Worker to liaise with the veterinarian – we emphasise that we do not diagnose nor treat and where any illness or injury is suspected the horse is immediately referred to the owning veterinarian.

Around the world many veterinarians  attend our classes, including the Equine Sports Massage clinics.

You will receive your Equinology Equine Body Worker certification upon successful completion of the Equinology Equine Sports Massage Foundation certification course and the required externship.

If you can work together with another professional in your area, for example, a chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist you could have a jump-start to a solid client base, this is equally so if you can work together with a veterinarian in your area.

The time to build up your client base will depend on your geographical location, size of the equine population in that area and other therapists already working in the area.

Once you are qualified, it is a good idea to introduce yourself and your work to fellow professionals in the area.  In class we spend a fair amount of time going through marketing tips and ideas to help you set up a successful practice!

How much can I expect to charge for consultations?

Again, this is largely dependent on your geographical location. We generally suggest a fee similar to that charged by fellow professionals in your area.

You can expect to charge slightly higher fees as your levels of qualifications increase, going from EEBW to EEBW Level II and onto EAEBW and ESEBW qualifications.

How long will it take me to get the Equinology Master Equine Body Worker (EMEBW) qualification?

We usually suggest a timescale of 12 to 18 months, depending on how much time you can dedicate to the courses.  The courses are all offered in modular form, which means that you can take them in any order, and there is no time restriction on how long you take before testing for a higher level of certification.

Most of our students are either working professionals or in full-time employment with a view to changing career, so the option of modular study combines well with employment.

Full details of  the course prerequisites can be found on the Course Details page.

Is financial assistance available?

Some local councils (for example, in rural areas) will offer grants towards study fees.

If you plan to run through a number of courses to test for a higher level of certification and agree to sign up for all the required classes, we can spread the payments over a  pre-determined length of time.

Is there a governing body or association for qualified Equine Body Workers?

The International Equine Body Worker Association (IEBWA) is the centralised regulatory and supporting body for all student and qualified Body Workers.

Members receive full listing on the IEBWA page on the website www.iebwa.com.

The Association will represent its members at trade functions, in professional communications and similar. The IEBWA has branches in the USA, Canada, Brazil and South Africa.

Why does Equinology not offer distance learning? 

There are several answers to this one question! 

It is not that Equinology does not offer selected distance learning applications towards courses, it would be more correct to say Equinology does not offer a certification through distance learning. 

First of all, distance learning is considered studying from your own home or environment. This can take various forms. Some distance learning is accomplished through one application or a combination of study guides, workbooks and videos.  Others involve on-line education which can be similar to videos, or in real time through virtual classroom tuition directly with the instructor.

Many of the study guides and workbooks entail learning on paper only but no actual practical application. Others ask you to try the application on the animal but how do you know if you are doing this correctly without supervision?

At Equinology, when a student enrolls in the foundation massage course (or any other course with a prerequisite of veterinary terminology and vocabulary), we send you a pre-course study guide with your registration. Participants are expected to spend at least 40 hours working through this guide before the class begins.

Even though students will have gone through the material before the class, we always revise the work at the actual course, mostly because learning this hugely important material on paper only offers a two-dimensional aspect. The practical hands-on application at the course solidifies the material. Eleven years of running the courses has proven this time and time again.

As for using a video medium, where this can be useful to show moves and positions it is not a replacement for classroom tuition. There are several videos available that demonstrate massage and stretching techniques, and although they assist learning, the practitioner is often not aware of what he or she is doing until someone is there in real time to correct a position,  body mechanics and actual use of techniques. We usually find it more challenging  to undo poorly learned techniques than to instruct first-time learners.

The virtual classroom is an interesting concept whereby the student is in front of the computer monitor at the same time as the instructor. This medium allows for real-time interaction and discussion during lecture portions. Equinology does plan to use a virtual classroom for several courses, if these meet with certain criteria. A practical portion of the course will take place after the required number of lectures have been attended and homework has been assessed.

The Foundation massage courses are all fully booked, do you recommend any other courses to start my studies?

The progressive intensive anatomy course, EQ900E, is an excellent precursor to the Foundation massage course. As sports massage relies on knowledge and accuracy in terms of naming and locating anatomical landmarks, students have a great head start to the massage programme if they attend the intensive anatomy workshop. This course is also part of the EEBW Level II programme, so successful completion will automatically count as credit towards preparation for Level II testing.

The Stretching and Range of Motion Techniques course will give students an overview of exercises that can be carried out as an adjunct to the actual sports massage sessions. Course EQ400E is filled with practical exercises and a full stretching routine,  to help prepare for massage work on horses, and will already give a clear insight into the benefits of various techniques to support body work sessions.

I am a horse owner and want to take some shorter courses for the benefit of my own horses, can you suggest any workshops?

The Ground Handling Skills course, taught by Diana Thompson, offers a multitude of exercises and training tips that can be carried out safely on your own horses. The course targets issues such as dealing with emotions like as fear and reluctance as observed in training sessions, safe ground handling skills for work with young horses, working with horses that have a history of abuse, an introduction to acupressure points that can be used for relaxation, and a general positive approach to bonding with your horse. Previous course participants have praised the class for its logical yet intensive approach to effective horsemanship.

The Stretching and Range of Motion Techniques course will take horseowners through a full routine of safe stretching methods that can be incorporated into everyday training. In addition, the course covers a variety of  in-hand and ridden suppling exercises to support different training disciplines as well as being effective in rehabilitation of horses following ilness or injury.