Hey Reader!

Surprise!

I know I said I was trying to schedule another email for next Monday but this kept coming up in my head and on Facebook! ...so here we are!

Around the end of October, when I was getting antsy and wanted to do something - anything - horse-related, ...but I knew I wanted to be a consumer, not a deliverer, and a course that sounded wonderful, almost too good to be true (foreshadowing), found me on Facebook.

The image of a horse with the words, in big bold letters, 'Equine Therapy Certification', reeled me in!

The description:

"As crazy as it sounds... you can become an Equine Therapy Practitioner by next week." 🤔

Alarm bells went off 🚨🚨

Red flags went up 🚩🚩

...that doesn't sound right.

...but I read on...

"Our online, self-paced course gives you a complete, in-depth education all in just 40 hours. That's right, you are only 40 hours away from being certified in equine-assisted practice."

It said much more and you kind of had to read through (as my husband so aptly puts it) the 'weasel words' that alluded to accreditation, certification, and a "solid foundation for a credible, insurable practice."

"This opens the doors to partnerships with barns and programs, community organizations, schools, and private sessions at your facility." 🚨🚨 🚩🚩

I didn't like what they were trying to convince people they were buying which was a professional designation that takes years to achieve, not just 40 hours!

I went away and did some research on the certification credentials they referred to and also researched what is needed to qualify a person for an equine therapist designation.

Yikes! They were definitely trying to convince people they were getting something they weren't!

Being someone who, if they see something they say something, I jumped into the comment stream and spoke my piece in the kindest, most non-judgmental way I could think to say it:

"This is only beneficial if you already have a professional designation as a practitioner, correct? If my research is correct it's supplemental to an existing professional designation. Please clarify if I'm wrong about this."

To their credit, they did respond and when I stated my concerns that the way the ad was written was misleading buyers, they clarified,

"You're right - we want to be very clear: the Equine Therapy Practitioner Course provides knowledge, skills, and practical tools, but it does not replace professional licensure or certification required to practice clinically with clients."

...they said a lot more and also committed to changing the ad wording to clarify.

Unfortunately, I believe there is some sort of affiliation programme going on because there are several different ads running the same thing and only the person I confronted with my comments changed their wording.

All along I've had so many people like my comment, and thank me for it, and also comment (one person just this morning!) that they were wondering about the validity of the programme too.

So make sure, whatever you see online, you question a few different ways. It's hard to know what's real out there!

I hope you're all doing well! 🙂 I plan to try to get something out on Monday 😉

If ever you want to chat about anything, just reply to this email and let me know!

...until I hear from you, stay well and take care...

Remember, if you’ve missed previous emails (the public ones, at least), you can go here to read them.​

-Sylvia (see something, say something) Schneider

PS - Here are some handy links to information:

1. ​15 Ways Horses Can Improve Your Life​
2. ​15 Lessons Experienced Horse People Have Learned ...and Want to Help New Horse Lovers Understand!​
3. ​Are You Ready for Horse Ownership? (A Comprehensive Checklist)​

Need the 'Easy Button'? If you have a pressing concern regarding a horse or equine related matter, and you need help NOW, you might want to consult about it using this link as your 'Easy Button'.