2025 Professional Training Program starts in:
You own a horse and want to be able to take a more active role in helping your horse feel amazing, stay sound, and connect with them on a deeper, nervous-system level.
You already work with horses professionally and want to add this unique and proven method to your professional skill set to help your clients get better results faster and results that last longer than anything else.
You want to start a brand new career helping horses and are looking for a cutting-edge, gentle and science-based technique to be the foundation of your equine business.
Intro to the Neuroscience of Posture, Postural Reflexes and the Illusion of Postural Control
A Somatic Approach to Horses - how to get permission, consent and invite active participation from horses
Overview of the Mammalian Nervous & Motor-Sensory Systems (equine, human, canine)
Posture Assessment - identify the 3 most common deviant postural patterns that affect domestic horses
EHS Protocols 1-4 (of the 8 total EHS protocols)
Differentiate between natural horse behavior, learned motor-patterns and involuntary reflexes so you can identify real-time emotional trauma vs. habituated stress responses in the body
Motor Sensory Amnesia and the cause of chronic muscle tension from a neuroscience perspective
Become familiar with the 3 techniques used in Hanna Somatic Education, and how they interact with and influence the central nervous system
In-Hand exercises for somatic integration, encouraging body autonomy and self-carriage
Develop a personal practice of Hanna Somatics for self-care and career sustainability as an equine professional
In this course, you will learn the first 4 (of 8) proprietary EHS Protocols for helping horses get free from the chronic muscle tension responsible for the majority of equine somatic issues, ranging from stiffness, crookedness, poor movement and mysterious or undiagnosed soundness issues to behavioral and training issues that have their root in pain or body-mind dysfunction.
Appropriate for equine veterinarians. vet techs and bodyworkers, professional trainers, amateur riders and non-riding horse owners, this course includes lifetime access to both content and year-round support in our Professional Training Community (via our private online portal).
Prior knowledge of equine anatomy & physiology is not required, but will enhance your ability to accurately assess horses and identify somatic issues. Horse experience and enrollment in Equine Hanna Somatics - Session 1 (our introductory course) are required for admission to this program.
Know just how to help each horse when you've learned all 8 proprietary EHS Protocols and how to tailor the right protocol for each individual horse - in this program we go WAY beyond the simplified first protocol we taught you in our EHS Session 1 instructional video.
There is nothing quite like KNOWING your session is going to help a horse, and feeling confident that you can easily explain the WHY to the horse's owner, farrier, trainer or vet.
The added credibility of EHSE Certification and being listed in our practitioner directory makes it much easier to book new clients and to be found online by potential clients looking for a qualified practitioner or equine 'bodyworker.'
Having peers to bounce ideas around with and a professional organization supporting and promoting your work and referring local clients to you is priceless - you'll feel more empowered to change the horse-world as part of something bigger, part of the Somatic Revolution!
To become a Certified Equine Hanna Somatics Educator (C-EHSE) you must complete all 3 Modules of the Program and individual certification assessments at each level - although you will be equipped to start working somatically with horses immediately after Module 1.
Each module builds on the last and is made up of online group trainings (mostly live sessions via Zoom) with some pre-recorded lessons, a private online portal and active Community and optional 1-1 coaching.
You will receive a 70+ page manual and additional level-specific PDF handouts throughout the course.
The live 5-day Modules are taught from 9am-5pm Pacific Time (you must attend LIVE). Each Module includes (35 hours) of instruction, plus independent fieldwork assignments and written case studies. The time between modules is dedicated to honing your hands-on skills with several different horses.
Between Modules, you are required to do a minimum # of hands-on EHS sessions with several different horses, and to submit a record of your sessions, as well as to complete and submit case write-ups that you will present to the class at the next module, and assessment videos.
Tuition for each module is $1000* (due in advance of each module).
$200 is due with your Application, and the balance is due once you are accepted into the program.
After completing Module 1, you will receive a Certificate of Completion, a listing in our online practitioner directory, may use the title Level 1 EHSE and become eligible to join the Association for Equine Hanna Somatics Education (AEHSE) as a student-level member ($75/year).
You may only enroll in one module per year - there is no accelerated pathway, because while we can teach you the science, somatic techniques and proprietary EHS protocols - it is the actual doing of the fieldwork and case studies with many different horses, and the horses themselves, that will teach you the Feel and how to fully embody the information.
There is NO ANNUAL FEE to maintain your Certifications once earned
- although you may choose to maintain your AEHSE membership at the certified level ($175/year) for additional credibility and continuing education, as well as discounts on live events and opportunities for collaboration and promotion.
You can begin your journey anytime by beginning to work with the introductory EHS protocol in our pre-requisite intro course: Equine Hanna Somatics® Session 1* (designed for horse owners to begin the basic EHS work with their horse, or to introduce bodyworkers and professionals to working somatically with horses).
"The human-horse relationship is by nature somatic: It is the integration of two minds and two bodies, the mind and body of the rider and the mind and body of the horse.
Over time, horses, like humans, develop characteristic postures,
movements, and behaviors. They also develop pain, discomfort and restricted movement.
Based on thousands of somatic sessions with humans and a study of horse anatomy and kinesiology, (in 1995) I developed a basic protocol for working with the major equine muscle groups, and this is what we teach you in our introductory instructional video Equine Hanna Somatics - Session 1."
- Eleanor Criswell
The Equine Hanna Somatics Professional Training Program is the ONLY place you can learn all 8 proprietary EHS Protocols designed to work WITH a horses' brain to resolve full-body postural deviations as well as specific soundness or somatic issues and movement dysfunctions.
When I discovered the power of Equine Hanna Somatics® and began studying with Eleanor in 2010, it was like I had found my calling.
I had never experienced anything that felt SO good, and gave such profoundly beneficial results at every single session... every horse I've had the opportunity to work with this way has made light years of progress in just minutes or days, and I never get tired of talking about it!
EHS is the future of equine 'bodywork,' wellness, soundness and body-mind training for equestrians.
Right now, it's still a secret super-power of the few who know about it... join us on the ground floor of something that is going to revolutionize the equine industry! Apply to the certification program so you can help your horse or your clients/students feel and function better, faster, but ALSO so you can be a part of bringing this message of hope to the horse world!
Prerequisites:
• Equine Hanna Somatics-Session 1 Intro Video Course
• You must have horse experience to apply!
In this module, you will be introduced to the practice and applications of EHS for helping horses get free from the chronic muscle tension responsible for the majority of equine somatic issues, ranging from stiffness, crookedness, poor movement and mysterious or undiagnosed soundness issues to behavioral and training issues that have their root in pain or body dysfunction.
Confidently assess horses for the 3 most common postural reflexes via visual, movement and palpation analysis.
Guide horses in EHS Full-Body Protocols 1, 2, 3 and 4
Differentiate and identify what is horse behavior vs. involuntary reflexes or learned motor patterns
Understand Motor-Sensory Amnesia and what causes chronic muscle tension from a neuroscience perspective, and learn the truth about ‘muscle memory’
Become familiar with the 3 techniques used in EHS, and understand how they interact with or influence the equine nervous system.
Practice Hanna Somatics with your own body, and much more!
Prerequisites:
• Completion of Module 1
• Submission of all Fieldwork Assignments, Assessment Videos & Case Studies
In this module, you will deepen your understanding of all topics and Protocols covered in Module One, learn two new EHS Protocols & more about equine anatomy, kinesiology and neurophysiology, how to work with the extremities and joints, and how EHS applies to different disciplines in the equine industry.
Refinement of EHS Protocols 1-4
Learn the Advanced EHS Protocols 5 & 6
Understand equine movement, gaits and central pattern generators, lameness & antalgic posture/gaits
Confidently discuss and present Cases
Understand Equine Motor Control, Postural Reflexes and how to improve Proprioception
Teach clients/horse owners to do ‘homework exercises’ between sessions
Embody the practice of working WITH horses holistically, rather than working ON their bodies
Guide owners/human clients in basic Hanna Somatics exercises
Prerequisites:
• Completion of Modules 1 & 2
• Submission of all Fieldwork Assignments, Assessment Videos & Case Studies
In this module, you will continue to deepen your understanding and confidence with all topics in previous modules and develop a Mastery of all 8 EHS Protocols. You will further embody the practice and mindset of helping horses to ‘self-actualize’ their potential by working with them somatically, as individuals, as you build your practice. You will become confident in your ability to help horses all across the spectrum of age and life stages rapidly get out of pain and reverse many common diagnoses, symptoms and soundness issues formerly labeled as ‘untreatable’ or ‘beyond hope.’
Learn Advanced EHS Protocols 7 & 8
Mastery of all EHS Protocols
Confidently apply your EHS skills for equine Rehabilitation & Performance Enhancement
Discuss Complex Cases and how to use EHS to help Special Somatic Complaints
Work as part of a team of complimentary practitioners with other equine professionals
Specialize your professional practice or personal areas of interest or expertise
Teach introductory EHS Workshops to horse owners wanting to learn how to work somatically with their own horses.
Lead individuals or groups in the complete ‘Cat Stretch’ series of Hanna Somatics exercises (for humans)
Do I need knowledge of anatomy? No anatomical experience is required for Module One. It's helpful to know the common names of the parts of the horse (ie. poll, fetlock, stifle, etc.) and as you progress through the levels you will surely want to familiarize yourself with the names and functions of many equine muscles, so you feel comfortable navigating and referencing the more advanced EHS Protocols. In the course Manual Eleanor provides a bibliography of resources that she recommends for your independent study between modules.
Do I need to have any previous training? The minimum requirement is that you already have enough horse experience to be safe working around and close to horses. Most of our students have already invested in learning some (or several) sorts of equine therapy or hands-on modality for helping horses, but are still looking for that 'missing link' to really helping horses get reliable results that really last, and without hurting their own body in the process. About 1/3 of our students are horse owners who want to solve their own horse(s) problems, and the rest are equine industry professionals with backgrounds including: DVMs, Osteopaths, Naturopaths or other alternative practitioners and equine bodyworkers of various modalities who are wanting to add a new tool to their skillset, or equine science students interested in beginning a new career as Equine Hanna Somatics Educators.
Do I need to have a computer? Yes, or one available to use. The Equine Hanna Somatics Professional Training Program is offered online through live Zoom trainings, videos, downloads and assessments. During the training, you must be able to be present live on Zoom during the morning 'classroom' sessions, and live via Zoom with a wifi connection with your horse during the afternoon sessions. There are no recordings.
Do I need to have a horse to work with? Yes! During the afternoon sessions of the live Zoom training you'll need to have a horse so you can practice the techniques with Eleanor and Alissa's virtual supervision. (If no horses are available, it is possible to use a dog. The dog would need to be able to stay still for you to work with.??)
Are there any physical requirements? While the goal of EHS is to invite the horses to participate in moving their own bodies during our sessions, you will still be moving and bending/squatting near your horse and need to keep yourself safe, so some physical capabilities are required. As long as you are physically comfortable and feel safe picking up horses' front and back legs, you'll be fine.
Is Travel required? No, travel is not required. All three Modules are currently offered online only.
Tuition for each module is $1000 USD. (prices subject to change)
To secure your space in the next module and apply, a $200 deposit is required up front. If the training is already full or your application is otherwise denied, this deposit is refundable (less processing fees) or may be deferred to the following year.
If you choose to join our professional organization (the AEHSE), your membership benefits include discounts on Auditing modules you have previously completed and all Canine Hanna Somatics® workshops, in-person events, and you will be invited to become an affiliate for our EHS Session 1 video, so you can earn a 25% commission for each sale that you refer - which is one way you can start to passively earn back your tuition and membership dues!
There is NO ANNUAL FEE to maintain your Certifications once earned- although you may choose to maintain your AEHSE membership at the certified level ($175/year) for additional credibility and continuing education, as well as discounts on live events and opportunities for collaboration and promotion, and we encourage all of our graduates to attend our annual in-person recalibration events, hands-on workshops and Hanna Somatic Education Convention to keep their skills sharp and knowledge current.
The Equine Hanna Somatics Professional Training Program can be completed in just over 2 years. The modules are offered once per year and you may only complete one module each year. This gives you time between modules to practice your protocols, study your anatomy and neurophysiology, and get experience working with many different horses.
Each module must be completed before enrolling in the next one, and you may take longer than one year between modules if you feel you want or need the extra time to master what you learn at each level. You are required to do a minimum number of sessions between modules, with several different horses, as well as to submit several case-studies and assessment videos before advancing to the next module. After completing Module Three, you become eligible for certification, pending an individual assessment by Alissa Mayer, which is scheduled when you feel prepared and both of your schedules align - usually within a few to several weeks or months following completion of the third module.
You must take the modules in order, and may only register for one each year. You will have different materials and protocols to learn and study for each of the three Modules - but the live classes are held concurrently. This means we have students from all 3 levels in the Zoom classroom together. This allows you to continue to deepen your understanding of the key topics and EHS principles, to experience peer-peer learning and sharing, and to get direct coaching and instruction from Eleanor and Alissa. We encourage our level 2 and level 3 students to participate in coaching the lower levels and they will also be presenting cases from their between-modules practical studies.
For each module, there are some pre-recorded materials that will be made available for you to download or watch starting on May 1st. Some of these materials are best consumed before the live course begins (like the EHS Session 1 instructional video, our welcome video series, and printing and reviewing the Program Manual), and some are meant to be used as a supplement to the live zoom classes, to deepen your understanding of key topics. These materials are occasionally updated, but we expect they will take 2-4 hours at the most to work through.
The live Zoom sessions will be Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm (Pacific Time). The mornings will be dedicated to lecture, demonstration, simulations and Somatics for horse handlers and EHS practitioners. The afternoon sessions will be hands-on classes with your horse. You will need a good internet connection and quiet workspace with safe and level footing at your barn or the location where you plan to join with your horse, and we recommend inviting an assistant to help you by holding your horse - although it is permissible to tie your horse if necessary.
During these sessions, you will be practicing the level-specific protocols taught in your module, with real-time feedback and coaching from Eleanor & Alissa, and peer-peer coaching in breakout groups by level. It is worthwhile to haul your horse to another facility if you don't have a strong wifi signal, or to work with a different horse if that makes it easier to get a good internet connection. You will miss a significant portion of the training if you miss these live sessions, and there will NOT be a replay available of these sessions. If you absolutely cannot participate with your horse live, it is permissible to observe the afternoon sessions and then practice the work on your own each day.
Dates for all three modules of the program are posted at the top of this page - scroll to the top for current details and to apply or get on the waiting list.
We are based in Oregon, US in the Pacific Time sone. We have several students in Europe, South Africa and Australia in our EHS training program - this is how it works:
During our 5-day live trainings, the first part of the day is lecture, discussion and experiential, and can be done from the comfort of your home, office or classroom. The second half of each day is when we work hands-on with the horses, and give demonstrations, etc. - and as this can be very late in the night for your time zone, some students choose to just observe the hands-on sessions, and then practice with their horse the next morning before our live training Zoom begins again.
This is an acceptable option if it works for you - and we are available between the live trainings to offer coaching and support in our online community, our quarterly Mastermind Zooms, and via 1-1 coaching if you like.
Because you are joining from home over Zoom, we know it can be tempting to try to do ALL the things - horse chores, family/child care, and continue working around the course schedule. For you to get the maximum value from the training program, we do NOT recommend you do this! Our most successful students have found it best to pretend that they have traveled to be with us in-person for the week of the trainings, and adjust their schedules accordingly - as if they were out of town.
The $200 deposit that is required along with your application is refundable (less processing fees) if the training you are applying for is already full, or if your application is otherwise denied. Due to the nature of this online program and the proprietary information included, once you pay the balance of your tuition for any module, requests for refunds are taken on a case-by-case basis. If there is a natural disaster or medical emergency that prevents you from attending the training, or causes us to have to reschedule a module, all affected students tuition will be either refunded or carried over to the rescheduled dates.
Yes, EHS can be modified to work with all animals, because this work is based on the tendency of vertebrate animals to pandiculate. Many of our students are also interested in working with dogs, and Eleanor has developed a Canine Hanna Somatics® Protocol that is taught in the optional half-day workshop at the end of each EHS Module.
We encourage you to begin working somatically with horses right away* - in fact, it’s ideal if you have already watched our introductory instructional video called Equine Hanna Somatics - Session 1, and have tried the Session 1 Protocol with at least one horse before your Module One training begins. ***Please note that we do not teach basic horsemanship or safety skills in this program, and we require that you already have horse experience to be considered for the program.
We do not have a firm rule about when you begin to charge clients for your EHS sessions, because many of our students are already working with horses and clients, either with their own professional practice, or in other areas of the equine industry. We do discuss ethics and the Scope of Practice for EHS Educators, and we expect all of our students and graduates to behave ethically and professionally, and to always disclose their level of study or certification in EHS to clients or potential clients and in promotional materials.
All modules come with access to our private Facebook community for EHS Education students and graduates where you can get support from your peers, graduates of the program and the EHS Teaching Team. For additional help, you can book one-on-one sessions with Alissa or members of the EHS Teaching Team. Pricing and availability are published inside our Professional Training Community.
Equine Hanna Somatics (EHS) is an adaptation of Hanna Somatics (work developed for humans) that works with pure physiology to instantly reverse chronic muscle tension, by working directly WITH the horses brain, instead of working ON the body... so even though it looks a lot like it, EHS isn't actually bodywork, but is an educational and experiential process that we facilitate for the horse, where the horse is choosing to participate by following our requests to move their body around.
EHS is the only hands-on ‘healing’ modality that teaches equine bodyworkers, vets and hands-on horse owners how to access a horse’s Pandiculation reflex to rapidly reverse the most common misdiagnosed and undiagnosed soundness issues, so they can reliably enhance performance and make horses feel amazing, without doing any manual manipulation, stretching, woo-woo or invasive procedures.
We do not work ON horses, but invite them to participate WITH us during EHS. In this way, we are working directly with the horses Motor Cortex, effectively interacting with the horses Central Nervous System far ‘upstream’ of any other modality or method we have yet found.
This is the ONLY training program that offers a certification in EHS, and the only training program authorized by Eleanor Criswell, the creator of EHS, to certify practitioners in Equine Somatics. By becoming a student, you get access to our global community of EHS practitioners and practitioners-in-training, and get listed on the AEHSE practitioner directory.
In EHS we actively avoid stretching a horse. Instead, we focus on encouraging the horse to Pandiculate their muscles.
Stretching happens when a mechanical force is applied to a muscle or connective tissue. This can be force from the outside, when someone or something puts pressure or pulls on a body, or can happen when an individual braces a part of their own body and uses leverage and gravity to apply the stretch to themselves.
When horses pandiculate, groups of muscles will be lengthening, and others shortening, as part of the natural process of bodily movements. When muscles lengthen during EHS, they are either lengthening passively (because the opposing muscle is contracting) or are being consciously lengthened or shortened via an eccentric contraction (during the slow de-contraction phase of each exercise). We NEVER pull on or force the horse while doing EHS, and are actively avoiding the application of mechanical stretching forces while guiding a horse through the EHS movements.
In short, a stretch is something that happens TO a muscle. In contrast, the lengthening that happens in EHS is in response to the horse deciding to move WITH the practitioner.
In our basic instructional video, we teach a simplified version of the first EHS Protocol developed by Eleanor Criswell, the creator of EHS. In the EHS Professional Training Program, you will learn the complete Ideal Protocol that the intro video is based on, plus the additional 7 Complete EHS Protocols, the neuroscience behind how the method works, and more!
We begin every EHS session with the exercise called The Initial Pick-ups. The first four protocols that we teach in Module 1 all include several leg-pick-up exercises (5 total) as they are full-body protocols and the largest muscle groups are all connected to the limbs and/or involved in locomotion. The remaining exercises in these Module 1 protocols involve the head, neck, back, shoulders, ribcage, pelvis and tail, and can be done standing up straight beside the horse.
In Modules 2 & 3 we teach advanced protocols that focus on different areas of the horses body, and the associated somatic issues we can help with EHS. 3 of the 4 advanced protocols include fewer leg pick-ups and movements than the Module 1 protocols. The hindquarter protocol (in Module 3) has quite a lot of hind-limb movements and pick-ups, as that is the focus.
However, the goal, and the outcome, of all Equine Hanna Somatics is for the horse to be moving their own body more and more. As they improve their body awareness and motor control, and re-learn how to move with the least amount of effort, their limbs become lighter and lighter, until they are 'light as a feather' and very easy to guide through the protocols.
Alternatively, we often ask the owners/clients to participate in the sessions and to do some or all of the limb pick-ups and basic limb movements, under our guidance and coaching - this is to include the owner in the very pleasant bonding experience of EHS, and also to teach them how to continue the work for their horses between professional sessions. You may choose how much, or how little, you involve the owner/handler in your sessions.
Finally, you can still be very effective and helpful to horses when you do an EHS session with minimal leg-lifting, however, there will always be some muscle groups that you are not able to facilitate the horse in pandiculating/resetting without doing all of the limb exercises on our protocols - but the cumulative nature of this work means that you won't have to repeat the same exercises every session, forever!
Also, all of us EHS practitioners and students also do Hanna Somatics with our own bodies, (and this is an important part of our training program content) which is a HUGE help in keeping us fit and comfortable, and having sustainability in our professional practices and personal horse-time.
If you are here on this website, it’s because you care about helping horses, and we love that! We also want you to feel really good about making decisions about how you invest your money and your time, and we don’t want you to have to wait until you’ve completed one of these training modules to know if EHS is right for you. That is partly what motivated us to create our instructional video Equine Hanna Somatics - Session 1, so you can learn how to do a basic EHS session with your horse and experience how easy and effective EHS can be, for just $47 - less than the price of some fancy horse cookies or a new set of grooming tools, right?
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EHS is the only hands-on ‘healing’ modality that teaches equine bodyworkers, vets and hands-on horse owners how to access a horse’s Pandiculation reflex to rapidly reverse the most common misdiagnosed and undiagnosed soundness issues, so they can reliably enhance performance and make horses feel amazing, without doing any manual manipulation, stretching, woo-woo or invasive procedures.
You don't just want to work with horses, you actually want to change their lives for the better.
You are so passionate about horses that you already have them in your daily life, and you want to be part of a movement dedicated to advocating for equines and improving their welfare, well-being and happiness.
You want to know the science and the WHY behind what you are doing, so you can speak confidently when you're explaining to horse-owners what you do and why it works as you grow your equine business.
If you say 'YES!' to any of these, then don't wait, this is the perfect next step for you!
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