24/01/2026
🌿Athena externally accredited Level 4 & 5 Equine Assisted Services Diploma (that includes a 🫏extension and dual certificate) curriculum features core skills plus optional elective modules (example topics shown on the right) that let each student customise their learning path🌿
💚From these elective options, you can focus on what matters most to you – for example, working with young people, exploring mindfulness practices, engaging corporate clients, or promoting mental health and wellbeing in partnership with horses. This flexible elective pathway means your learning journey is truly your own. You get to align your studies with your passions and career goals, making your training directly relevant to the impact you want to have in the field💚
🌟Trauma-Informed, Client-Led Approach🌟
Athena’s training is built on a trauma-informed, client-led framework that prioritises safety, autonomy, and holistic support. From day one, you’ll learn how to create a safe, empowering environment for clients and horses alike. Trauma-informed practice provides a framework to recognise and respond to the effects of trauma, ensuring physical, psychological, and emotional safety at all times .
📚In Athena’s courses, this means embracing a whole-person approach – understanding how mind and body interplay – so you can support each client’s healing and growth with empathy and respect. By learning to let the client lead and the horse guide the process, you’ll be equipped to facilitate sessions that are truly supportive and empowering for those you serve📚
🙋🙋♂️Learn from Practitioners in the Field🙋♀️
When you train with Athena, you learn from the best in the business internationally. Courses are delivered by seasoned practitioners who are actively working in the field of Equine (and Donkey) Assisted Services. The Athena training team is made up of independent consultants – counsellors, psychotherapists, equine specialists, coaches, and other professionals – each bringing a wealth of experience in their area of expertise . They don’t just teach theory; they share real-world insights and mentor you through hands-on learning. This means you’ll gain practical skills, insider knowledge, and a supportive network of experts to guide you. With instructors who practice what they teach, you can trust that your training is relevant, up-to-date, and deeply rooted in experience.
Aahep: Association for Animals, Horticultural & Equine Practitioners 🐴🐶🐑🌻
Accredited Training with National Recognition
💪Perhaps one of Athena’s greatest strengths is its commitment to quality and professional standards💪
Athena’s training programmes meet the requirements for inclusion on the first (and currently only) UK National Register for Equine Assisted Services accredited by an independent governmental body – the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
💫In fact Athena is officially recognised as a pioneer in this space, being instrumental in establishing the PSA-accredited register for equine-assisted practitioners. For you as a student, this is inspiring news: it means your qualifications will be recognised at the highest level, aligning with rigorous standards of ethics and care. You can confidently tell future employers and clients that you trained with a provider who helped set the benchmark for excellence in equine-assisted services. This kind of credibility is invaluable when starting or advancing your career.💫
🤝Join a Leading, Supportive Community🤝
Choosing Athena means joining a forward-thinking community dedicated to making a difference. Athena’s ethos of “Awarding | Learning | Community” isn’t just a slogan – it’s a promise. You’ll be part of a supportive global community of practitioners and alumni who are passionate about human-equine partnerships and helping others. Athena’s student-centered approach, combined with its innovative curriculum and industry recognition, gives you an education that is unique, empowering, and valuable.
Inspire your future with training that lets you carve your own path, learn from experienced mentors, and carry a mark of quality that sets you apart. With Athena, you won’t just earn a certificate:
📍you will gain confidence, skills, and credibility to truly lead in the field of . Embrace the opportunity to grow with Athena, and take the reins of a rewarding career helping others through the power of horses📍
💻Ready to begin your journey? Athena’s unique training is here to equip and inspire you every step of the way: athenaherd.org 💻
