- Prior to being accepted into the apprenticeship training program, applicants are required to participate in an introductory Epona workshop. Please see the Workshop page for qualifying programs. Direct experience of this work gives applicants and Epona instructors and staff a clearer sense of the whether or not the level of mutual commitment required by a program such as this is a viable undertaking for the interested parties. Introductory Level workshops offered by Epona Approved Instructors meet the pre-requisite standards.
- Apprentices must either own their own horse(s) or have routine access to a particular horse in order to practice with the horse throughout the training period.
- Due to the rise in equine-facilitated therapy and experiential learning industry standards, applicants must have at least five (5) years or 2000 hours of horse experience. This experience can include owning horses, riding lessons, participation in show circuits, instructing, and/or training, etc. (Programs will soon be in place at Epona for those needing to develop their riding skills. The opportunity to enhance ground work skills, basic riding skills and authentic community building skills is currently available through the Epona Advanced Study Program. Additional programs will soon be in place at Epona for those needing to develop their riding skills.)
- Individuals applying to the Epona Apprenticeship Program and the Epona Advanced Study Experience (EASE) program are expected to have some experience with group dynamics. This could include support groups, work team building, as well as therapeutic groups. The key is for individuals to have some experience and an idea of how to interact supportively and successfully with other group members. In other words, how to support, give appropriate feedback, listen, and encourage other members. Much of the teaching and learning during the year will give individuals more experience and opportunity to hone their group dynamics skills. However, as in all endeavors, nothing can replace personal experience. We cannot expect others to share openly if we have not ourselves understood the vulnerability and risk this requires of each person. Facilitators cannot take anyone further then they themselves have gone. If a facilitator has blind spots, secrets or unconscious patterns, their unconscious behavior is likely to effect others and block them from reaching their full potential. During the course, participants will have opportunities to discover, uncover and reclaim lost parts of themselves. We expect this commitment from our apprentices and we commit to support them as they travel this path.
- Applicants must be mentally and emotionally stable and exhibit a level of personal maturity. The apprenticeship program is designed for people who have already started to move beyond a survival orientation to a creative, emotionally vital thriving lifestyle. Throughout the year, they will further integrate the gifts of "both worlds": learning to ground intuitive, empathic, and shamanic insights into everyday reality while also learning to relate to others in an authentic community. While this program is not appropriate for people with a history of serious mental health issues, those who’ve faced life challenges--such as divorce, family conflicts, low-level depression and milder forms of emotional abuse--and have worked through these issues with a counselor, may apply.
- The Epona apprenticeship training is a rigorous program, and working with horses can be physically demanding. It is important that applicants be physically fit and in good health.
Find out more about the program:
- Overview
- Prerequisites
- The Selection Process
- Personal Commitment
- Equine Components
- Mental Health Components
For more information contact booking@theeponacenter.com or 520-455-5908.