Build a Meaningful Equine Career Grounded in Safety, Structure, and Heart
Canada is the home of Equine Connection. This is where our certification was created, where it has been trusted since 2008, and where our Canadian facilitators have built successful, ethical businesses helping people through the power of the horse.
Everything we teach is grounded in Canadian values. Safety. Integrity. Professionalism. Community. And above all, the welfare of the horse.
Your certification begins online and is completed with the ‘Bonus’ in-person at our Canadian Headquarters just outside Calgary, Alberta or at our satellite facility in Ontario.
If you want a career that honours the horse, changes lives, and gives you a ready-to-launch business model, you are in the right place.
Learn About Our Online & In-person Canadian Certification Course
What Makes Our Canadian Certification Different
A Canadian Program With Global Recognition
Equine Connection is proudly Canadian, established just outside Calgary, Alberta in 2008.
Not only do we run our certification here, we also give back through weekly programs for groups in our community. We also develop and run women's workshops, corporate teambuilding events, addictions recovery curriculums - just to name a few. We don't just certify people to do this work. We live it.
This is not therapy. This is not riding. This is not guesswork.
It is a structured learning model based off of research and proven in practice, designed to help people grow while protecting the welfare of the horse at every step.
Your Training Happens Online and In Person in Canada
You begin with your online foundation, then join us for your in-person practical at one of our Canadian training locations.
This is where your learning comes alive as you work with real clients and real horses alongside your instructors.
Canadians appreciate hands-on learning, and this model delivers exactly that.
Real Structure, Real Outcomes, Real Change
Canadians want to know that something works. This certification is built on research and science with measurable outcomes, and a proven curriculum used across schools, agencies, first responders, corporate teams, and youth programs throughout Canada.
Every session is structured with clear objectives and built-in results so your clients experience genuine growth and life skill development.
No Degree Required
Unlike other modalities that require years of schooling, you do not need a therapy degree or counselling background to start your career. And if you are already a therapist or counsellor, this work adds a powerful, experiential layer to your existing practice.
We train you in a research-based, horse-led approach that teaches real life skills on the ground. You’re not diagnosing or fixing anyone - you’re learning how to facilitate powerful experiences and build a career that’s ethical, effective, and truly yours.
Insurance in Canada Made Simple
Canadian facilitators can easily obtain business insurance because this certification is recognized, established, and backed by measurable outcomes and safety standards.
We guide you through exactly what to ask for and how to set it up so you begin legally and confidently.
Can Canadians really do this for a living?
Absolutely. Facilitators across Canada are running successful programs in schools, youth agencies, adult wellness programs, Indigenous communities, family support services, addictions and recovery centres, women’s empowerment programs, corporate teams, veterans’ groups, and rural community initiatives.
All humans needs to build life skills - this work can help them. Youth, teens, adults, seniors, frontline workers, parents, leaders, and teams all benefit from the guidance of the horse.
You choose the people you feel called to support.
This certification gives you the structure, programs, and lifelong support to serve them safely, ethically, and with confidence.
How This Certification Differs From PATH and EAGALA
Canadians often compare the main modalities when trying to understand what is right for them. Here is the simplest explanation.
PATH
- Primarily focuses on therapeutic riding
- Requires therapy professionals for mental health programming
- Riding is central to most training and delivery
EAGALA
- Mental health based
- Requires a licensed mental health professional
- Ground work focused but therapy driven
Equine Connection - The Academy of Equne Assisted Learning
- Life skills development and objectively driven learning
- Do not require a licensed clinician to run programs
- Full business model provided
- Horses are honoured as teachers
- Measurable outcomes built into every exercise
- Partner with Equine Guelph, the Horse Owner’s Centre at the University of Guelph, to uphold welfare standards.
This certification is ideal for Canadians who want a business helping people grow without becoming a therapist or counsellor.
Want to do an in-depth comparison for yourself?
Download The Certification ChecklistCanadian Currency: Transparent, Fair, and Truly Canadian
Your investment is paid in Canadian dollars because we are a Canadian company, and we believe in keeping our pricing fair, consistent, and accessible. Many Canadian businesses switch to United States currency, but we choose not to - we remain rooted in Canadian values and Canadian pricing.
For Canadians, it means clarity, stability, and no surprises.
Transparent pricing in our own currency is part of our commitment to integrity.
Success Stories From Across Canada
Saskatchewan Youth Facilitator
A former teacher who loved her career in education but wanted a way to help youth in a more hands-on, meaningful way. She enrolled in the certification with no business experience. She launched her youth confidence program within months and now works with local schools and agencies.
Her words:
“This gave me the tools, the structure, and the confidence to finally make this dream real.”
Alberta Leadership Programs
A rancher that has had horses his whole life and always believed they could teach people something powerful. He wanted to offer corporate team building but lacked a framework and structure. After certification, he began running corporate team building programs using the ready-made exercises that provided consistent measurable results, along with his facilitation training.
His words:
“The structure is everything. I could never have created this on my own.”
Ontario Women’s Empowerment Centre
A business-minded horsewoman wanted a career with that blended business and horses. She chose this certification because of the strong ethics and the science backed research of this certification. Today she operates a thriving women’s program serving individuals and groups who want to build confidence, authenticity, and resilience using the curriculum programs and the structured form of delivery to help them get results each and every time.
Her words:
“This became my full time business. The support never ends from Equine Connection.”