Level 1 · Trauma-Informed Training in Equine-Assisted Learning
Equine-Assisted Learning Facilitator Training
Rediscover your most authentic self through horses, movement, and the wisdom of nature
Learn to partner with horses in nature, where profound healing happens. Join us in person at Shakti Ranch in Malibu, CA, or online, on September 12, 2026. This course delivers real, implementable tools that are research-grounded and science-backed, yet presented in an accessible, practical way. You do not need to be a therapist, coach, or hold any clinical license to take this training, it is open to anyone drawn to this work. Level 1 EAL is the prerequisite for Rose Mary’s full Equine-Assisted Learning Certification at Shakti Ranch. This is Rose Mary Riggs’ training. Rose Mary is an Equine Assisted Therapist who created this style of Equine Assisted Learning, and she leads the day. Angela Schellenberg, LPC, LMHC, LPCC, co-facilitates, and her practice Dragonfly LLC is the approved provider of the NBCC continuing education hours.
Enroll Now See the Curriculum
Step onto the land
Where the nervous system remembers how to settle
Program Overview
How horses become co-regulators in healing
This Level 1 training introduces you to equine-assisted learning through a trauma-informed, somatic, and relational lens. Open to anyone, no clinical background or license required, the program explores how horses serve as co-regulators, mirrors, and partners in emotional and nervous-system healing.
It blends nervous-system science, nature-based healing, and trauma-informed equine facilitation, weaving theory together with embodied practice. The course is ideal for those who want to ethically and intuitively integrate equine-assisted learning into their personal or professional path.
Who This Is For
Open to anyone drawn to this work
Anyone drawn to working with horses, no clinical background, license, or horse experience required
Coaches and grief workers who want a grounded, ethical foundation for equine work
Healing practitioners drawn to nature-based and embodied approaches
Anyone integrating equine-assisted learning into a personal or professional path
Therapists and counselors who want to bring horses into the way they work
What You'll Learn
Three modules, twelve lessons
An arc that moves from foundation and ethics, into the natural world, and home to the body.
Module 1
EAL Fundamentals & Ethos
- History of Horse-Human Partnership
- What is Equine-Assisted Learning?
- Authenticity & Ethics in Facilitation
- Horses as Mirrors of Human Emotion
Module 2
Integration with Nature
- Why Nature Matters in Therapy
- Nature as a Co-Facilitator in Healing
- Nature-Based Storytelling in EAL
- Experiential Learning: The Nature Grid
Module 3
Embodied Movement
- Understanding Body-Based Healing
- Facilitating Grounded Presence
- How Horses Respond to Human Body Language
- Connecting with the Animal Body
The Core Concepts
What you'll walk away knowing
The difference between EAL, equine-assisted therapy, and therapeutic riding, and where this work belongs.
The facilitator's role as a co-regulator, not an instructor or clinician.
The ethos of power with, not power over, in the horse-human relationship.
How horses read body language, breath, and nervous-system cues rather than words.
Nature as co-facilitator: the Nature Grid and storytelling with natural objects.
A Day In The Training
What a training day looks like
Four hours on the ground with the horses, paced with one break, built around experiential practice.
Learning Objectives
By the end, you will be able to
Define the evolution of the horse-human partnership
Identify the ethical responsibilities of an EAL facilitator
Apply five-senses grounding and the Nature Grid
Demonstrate facilitator neutrality and embodied presence
A Glimpse
Moments from the work
Your Facilitators
Taught by two women who live this work
Angela Schellenberg
Co-Facilitator · LPC, LMHC, LPCC
Angela is a trauma therapist and EMDR-trained practitioner whose work is rooted in grief, attachment, and nervous-system repair.
She leads this training with a somatic, attachment-informed lens, holding the nervous-system and trauma-care heart of the work.
Rose Mary Riggs
Lead Facilitator · Equine Assisted Therapist
Rose Mary is an Equine Assisted Therapist who created this style of Equine Assisted Learning over more than a decade in the field. She leads the training.
She co-facilitates alongside Angela, and her full Equine-Assisted Learning Certification at Shakti Ranch builds directly on this Level 1 training.
Shakti Ranch EAL School
Level 1 Certificate of Completion
Prerequisite for the EAL Facilitator Certification
What You Earn
Level 1 is a foundation, not a certification
This is the part people get wrong, so here it is plainly. You do receive a certificate: the Shakti Ranch Level 1 certificate of completion. What it is not is an equine-assisted learning certification. That is a different credential, and it comes through Rose Mary Riggs’ full program at Shakti Ranch.
Your certificate of completion
The Shakti Ranch Level 1 certificate, showing that you completed the Level 1 training. It is the prerequisite for going further.
What it is not
What it is not is an equine-assisted learning certification. To be a certified EAL facilitator you complete Rose Mary Riggs’ full EAL training program, including all the required observations. Level 1 is where that path starts, not where it finishes.
The course lives on the Members platform
Your Level 1 training is already built and waiting inside Angela Schellenberg Members. The welcome orientation, every lesson, and your progress all live in one calm, private space.
- ✓Self-paced lessons alongside the live sessions
- ✓Track your progress, lesson by lesson
- ✓Your Level 1 certificate of completion, and the doorway to Level 2
Level 1
Equine-Assisted Learning: Level 1 Foundations
0 of 17 lessons complete
Welcome to the Course
EAL Fundamentals & Ethos
Integration with Nature
← Continuing education
Start Here
Welcome to Equine-Assisted Learning Facilitator, Level 1
We’re so honored to have you here. Your presence says a lot about how seriously you take this work, the horses, and the clinicians and clients you’ll one day sit with.
Tuition & Enrollment
Choose your format
Equine-Assisted Learning Facilitator, Level 1
Rediscover your most authentic self
Saturday, September 12, 2026
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, doors at 8:45 · Enrolling now
Choose the format that fits you, in person at the ranch or online. The curriculum is the same; only the experience and the price differ. Your tuition includes everything you need to step into the work with confidence:
- Live experiential learning, demonstrations, and guided discussion (at the ranch in person, or on Zoom online)
- Self-paced lessons: video lectures, reflection prompts, and reading assignments
- The Shakti Ranch EAL Manual (digital copy)
- Guided journal reflections and a post-course assessment
- Ethical foundations for working with horses and clients
- Lifetime access to the course platform and updates
The first step toward certification
Level 1 is the required entry point for the Shakti Ranch EAL Facilitator Certification, Rose Mary Riggs’ four-month immersive program at the ranch. Complete Level 1, in person or online, and you are eligible to apply.
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Pick the option that fits you. One tap goes straight to secure checkout.
Have a code? Enter it on the checkout page, under the order summary.
Before you enroll: Both formats are video recorded, and by enrolling you agree to be recorded. Please read the Training & Recording Policy before you enroll.
Level 1 EAL opens the next door. Level 1 EAL is the prerequisite for Rose Mary Riggs’ full Equine-Assisted Learning Certification at Shakti Ranch.
Good To Know
Common questions
Is this training offered for continuing education credit?
Not for this cohort. The September 12 training runs as training only, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and does not carry continuing education hours. You receive the Shakti Ranch Level 1 certificate of completion, the prerequisite for the Shakti Ranch EAL Facilitator Certification.
Who is this training for?
Anyone drawn to this work. You do not need to be a therapist, coach, or hold any clinical license or credential. Therapists, counselors, coaches, and healing practitioners are welcome too.
Do I need horse experience?
No. You don’t need to own a horse or have any riding experience. The work is relational and on the ground.
How is the training delivered?
This is a live Level 1 course hosted on the Angela Schellenberg Members platform. You join the live sessions and revisit every recorded replay anytime through your member login.
What does completion require?
Full attendance, active participation with your camera on for the live virtual format, and completion of the short assessment.
What if I miss part of the training?
Full participation is required for the certificate of completion, and there are no make-up sessions. If you miss part of the course, you can re-enroll in a future cohort to complete the training.
How much is the training?
In person at the ranch is $750. Online, live on Zoom, is $397. The training is identical either way; only the setting differs. Both include the Shakti Ranch EAL Manual, the self-paced lessons, and lifetime access to the course platform.
Does Level 1 certify me as an EAL facilitator?
No. You receive the Shakti Ranch Level 1 certificate of completion. That is not the same as an equine-assisted learning certification. To be a certified EAL facilitator you complete Rose Mary Riggs’ full EAL training program, including all the required observations. Level 1 is where that path starts.
What are your refund and access policies?
Full refund if you cancel 14 or more days before the start date, 50% within 14 days, and none once the training has begun. Need an accommodation? Let us know at least 14 days ahead.
