EFLC Certification Program

Applications are now being accepted for Fall 2026.

Awaken Your Truth Through the Wisdom of Horses
The Equine Facilitated Learning and Coaching (EFLC) Facilitator Certification Program is a transformational journey for those who feel called to integrate the profound intelligence of horses into their personal and professional path. Whether you are a coach, therapist, equine professional, healer, or creative guide, this program invites you to step beyond cognitive models and into heart-centered presence, intuitive connection, and soulful leadership.

In sacred partnership with horses, participants embark on a dynamic, year-long experience that bridges logic and spirit, embodiment and insight. Horses lead us not through words, but through relational wisdom, emotional honesty, and deep energetic coherence. As mirrors of our truth, they help us attune to our authentic nature and facilitate powerful transformation in others.

The white horse is symbolic of purification. Its energy brings one back to one’s authentic nature and aligns one to one’s highest potential. The white horse seeks illumination and is referred to as the sage willing to surrender what is familiar, ego-based, and brings short-term gratification in favor of choices that lead to liberation, service, and the honoring of what is sacred.

Mind Body Method™ An Energetic Integration
A cornerstone of the EFLC program is the Mind Body Method™ Coach Training, developed by Kathy Pike and refined over nearly two decades. This method blends somatic awareness, emotional intelligence, and energetic insight into a practical coaching framework. It supports facilitators in guiding clients into deeper self-awareness and embodied wisdom, all through the subtle yet profound mirror of the horse.

Participants also explore equine shamanism and the chakra systems of both horses and humans, learning to interpret and apply these ancient patterns of energy in sessions that restore balance, clarity, and soul-led alignment. This is where transformation becomes tangible: in the body, in the breath, and the moment of presence shared with a horse.

Resonance Creates Ripples
The EFLC journey begins with your own alignment. As you deepen your self-awareness, heal old patterns, and embody your purpose, you naturally become a catalyst for change in others. This program does not train you to “fix” others—it teaches you to hold space with integrity, clarity, and compassion.

Whether you are stepping into a new phase of service or expanding an existing practice, the EFLC Certification prepares you to guide others through meaningful, embodied change. This is not just about technique—it’s about becoming a living transmission of presence. The horse walks with you, not behind or ahead. And as you walk together, transformation follows.

You are invited to lead from the heart. To listen more deeply. To remember more fully. And to serve from the space where embodiment meets truth.

The EFLC Facilitator Certification Training Program is for you if you wish to learn how to:

• Follow the horse’s lead and guide your client deeply into their heart, creating an opening for healing and finding their true self, even if you have never done anything like this before.
• Develop leadership skills and handle any situation that emerges between a horse and a human, even as a sensitive empath.
• Massively boost your self-worth and strength as a coach, knowing how powerful and unstoppable you are when you step into your life purpose, even if you lack the confidence to grow your equine learning business.
• Make a more significant impact in the world by guiding people, with horses, to set powerful boundaries, let go of old behaviors, and develop new beliefs so they can powerfully step forward and create the life they desire.
• Be respected and stand out in this rapidly growing field because the horse’s integrity, respect, and honor are of the utmost importance to you.
• Take your expertise with horses to new levels by guiding your clients to higher levels of body-centered and spiritual awareness and coaching them through life-changing insights.
• Experience true empowerment and transformation through living the way of the horse.

Who is Kathy Pike?
Kathy Pike is a pioneer and a leader in Equine Facilitated Learning and Coaching. She is an international teacher and author of several books:

• Horse Wisdom Oracle, (Card Deck), Blue Angel Publishing.
• Oracle of the Sacred Horse, (Card Deck), Blue Angel Publishing.
• Life Lessons from the Heart of Horses, How Horses Teach Us about Relationships and Healing, SkyHorse Publishing.
  
• Horse Spirits Speak: On Love, Presence, and Harmony in a Chaotic World, March 2020. Also available in Polish.
• Hope …from the Heart of Horses: How Horses Teach Us About Presence, Strength, and Awareness,2009. Skyhorse Publishing. Also available in Dutch.
• Pathways to a Radiant Self: A Journey of Growth and Discovery with the Chakras, 2001. PTR Publishing.
  
• She is also the visionary, co-founder, and contributing author of the two-book series Horse as Teacher: The Path to Authenticity and The Path to Relationships. 

Kathy has traveled worldwide teaching Equine-Facilitated Learning and Coaching programs, with a strong emphasis on mind, body, and spiritual integration and the Law of Attraction. She offers a diverse background, including extreme outdoor adventure, massage and polarity therapy, PSYCH-K, yoga, corporate training, and 30 years of Professional and Life Coaching.

Kathy Pike is also the founder of the Mind Body Method^TM (MBM), which is central to her heart-centered approach and other key concepts of self-awareness. The Mind Body Method emerged from her work coaching others through the chakra system and her book Pathways to a Radiant Self. She also delivers equine leadership programs to executives and corporate teams and facilitates Conscious Riding Retreats for the serious equestrian.

Kathy is passionate about Mustangs. Her Mustang, Corazon, deemed untrainable and unrideable by the BLM, has proven to be an extraordinary program horse. When Kathy is not working, you can usually find her playing with Corazon, her dog, Moki, or the rest of her herd of horses in Colorado. For a more extensive bio visit: http://www.coachingwithhorses.com/about.

Why The Academy for Coaching With Horses?
The field of Equine Facilitated Learning and Coaching is expanding as more people seek meaningful ways to reconnect with presence, nature, and soul-based service. What sets the Academy apart is its integration of the Mind Body Method™—a transformational coaching framework developed by Kathy Pike that honors the horse not as a metaphor, but as a conscious co-facilitator. This approach invites us to become more “horse-like”: attuned, grounded, emotionally congruent, and deeply present.

With over 14 years of global impact across 18 countries, Kathy has refined this program into a comprehensive, multidimensional learning journey—both in-person and online. Her methods emerged stronger through adversity, including the creation of highly effective virtual modules during the pandemic.

At its heart, the Academy is more than a training program. It is a container for deep growth and authentic embodiment. Participants learn to trust the divine timing and natural unfolding of each session, while developing the leadership, coaching, and intuitive skills needed to facilitate true transformation—both within themselves and with others.

Enrollment is Now Open!  EFLC Level One: Emotional Intelligence and Energy Mastery. Learn emotional intelligence and energy mastery as you and your horse partner together to enhance and transform the lives of others.  Within ten weeks, you are confidently guiding others through an entire session. Includes weekly mentoring with Kathy. EFLC Level Two: Inspired Leadership with Horses. Learn several equine-based learning sessions focused on developing personal power and leadership skills, giving clients significant insights and changes as they build a relationship with a horse.  Ten weeks of online and direct mentoring with Kathy. Prerequisite Level One. The Mind Body Method Coaching Model. Learn key coaching skills, structures, processes, and tips for integrated levels of awareness during coaching conversations. Gain confidence in using body-centered coaching in equine-guided sessions to create positive change. This class may be taken at any time during the full-year program. Holistic Coaching Skills Master Course. Integrate the Seven Principles of Awareness and how to apply this system for any equine-based learning experience. This course is completely different than the Mind Body Method. Understand the three styles of questions, when to ask, and where they lead your client. Your toolbox becomes full with the resources you need to integrate all aspects of what the horses are showing you and to bring your client into a new reality. Live Learning Equine Practicum.  A four-day onsite event with Kathy to refine your skills, receive sessions, go even deeper with the work, and celebrate community and horses. Become part of the herd!  Video submissions will be allowed for those who can not travel. Onsites are held during the spring in Colorado. Are you ready to explore the EFLC Certification Program? To begin, fill out the Application below.   Begin Your Journey with Horses Be sure to check your “Promotions” or “Social” inboxes for your confirmation. Move the email into your Primary Box. When you fill out this form, you consent to us to send additional emails and communication as described in our Privacy Policy.  I value your trust. I will never share your information with anyone for any reason. Application Time: Plan for 15 minutes.  Process: Use the form to the left to begin the Application Process. Once your full Application is received, you will be mailed information to book your call and a packet with more details about the course. Confirmation: You will receive a personal reply email within 72 hrs. Check your spam and junk mail folders, just in case. If you don’t hear back, email us HERE.

Are you ready to learn how to create transformational experiences with Horses?

Are you ready to take your next step of exploration?

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the program delivered?
Currently, the program is a hybrid of online and onsite instruction. For years, students worldwide requested that Kathy put her program online. She resisted. After teaching online from the summer of 2020 to the present, Kathy has been astounded at the results of online teaching. She feels, in many ways, it is more effective than onsite. There are additional benefits that she did not see before having done it, such as:
1. Students prepare their property, horses, and sacred space for clients while they learn the processes.
2. Students develop a much deeper bond and communication with their horses when applying the processes.
3. All learning processes, client worksheets, session outlines, safety protocols, and references are online. Students may repeat and review videos and audio at any time.
4. A step-by-step process gives students more time to integrate and truly understand the way of the HORSE.
5. Students also explore and experience personal journeys and have more confidence while learning with their horses.

Who can apply for the EFLC Program?
The EFLC Certification Program is an in-depth program that offers opportunities for high personal and professional growth. Individuals already in helping professions (coaches, consultants, therapists, healers, physical therapists, nurses, etc.) and those working with horses (horse trainers and riding instructors) apply to this program. Individuals from all walks of life who are going through life transitions and seeking a new way to serve horses and people are also welcome to apply. 

What if I don’t own a horse yet?
If you do not own a horse, you must have one or more horses you can work with (through leasing or ownership) before entering the program.

What if I don’t have coaching skills?
During the program, you will learn several models of coaching that will change how you view coaching and facilitating others to their potential. Kathy brings 20 years of professional coaching and her Mind Body MethodTM Coach Training to this training. Throughout the year, you will learn to ask critical questions that dramatically impact your client’s experience. Between the on-site training sessions, you will listen to Kathy coach others and receive her powerful coaching.

Why do I need training?
This fast-emerging field is unique and complex. Programs that honor the Horse as a Teacher naturally have many fluctuating energy dynamics and unique considerations for horses and humans. To provide an experience that honors both beings (human and horse), one learns many facilitation components that cannot be obtained in any other type of training. We genuinely feel that an in-depth training program is needed to maintain the integrity of the work by understanding and honoring the horse as a mystical and sentient being. We strongly recommend you obtain extensive training before ever attempting to work with clients using horses.

What else might I need to know when considering this program?
The program is transformational. It will provide you with the tools to work with others, and at the same time, you can anticipate changes in your life as you grow more fully into your heart-based potency and authentic expression. Be ready to be on an adventure of learning and self-discovery. Each certification student is held to their most significant potential, creating a space of possibility and encouraging them to step into their unique greatness as they partner with a horse. This program creates openings of all kinds. Anticipate more of “you” emerging in your life as you learn the way and wisdom of the horse!

When and how do I apply?
Enrollment for the EFLC Certification Program is currently open.  You may apply on this page by filling out the form in the blue box.

Testimonials from Graduates

“The Academy for Coaching With Horses’ EFLC program has been the single most transformative experience of my life, one that has continued well past program completion! I have gained an awareness into the power of the mind-body connection and have learned a variety of tools to use with clients to help them experience deep connection on many levels, all with the goal of creating authenticity of being and life experiences for the client. My EFLC sessions empower potential mothers and mothers to take control of their mental and emotional well-being by partnering with retired broodmares. Stress and anxiety decrease for women experiencing issues around infertility, miscarriage/the loss of a child, childbirth, and postpartum depression and/or anxiety. While working with the broodmares, my clients gain higher levels of emotional and mental well-being to support the transformation and wondrous experience of being a woman.” Johanne Gentlebread, Abiding Sunday, River Falls, Wisconsin “What this program did for me is almost indescribable. Most importantly, it solidified why and how I want to work with horses and people. This program brought to life the whole picture of emotional intelligence, energy, communication, and healing. With this program, I have finally been able to apply my medical background and focus on trauma-informed care and integrative mental health, with the somatic portion of working with horses. The course was a massive step toward the whole picture of mind, body, and soul work with horses. I am very grateful for my experience with the Academy for Coaching with Horses. The love, passion, and deep commitment Kathy has put into the program are incredibly powerful, unlike anything I have ever experienced. I am excited to offer this type of coaching to people in San Luis Obispo, CA, to honor horses and help others move forward through challenging life experiences.” Emerald McLeod, www.healingwithhorsesSLO.com, San Luis Obispo, CA USA “This program changed the course of my life. As a certified NLP coach with 30 years of corporate background, I already saw the impact coaching can have on one’s life. When I discovered the world of coaching with horses and embarked on Kathy’s journey, I saw this impact multiply. A new world of possibilities opened up for my personal and professional growth.  Today, I am privileged to partner with my horses to help professionals and leaders unleash their natural and authentic leadership and accelerate their growth. A blessing I will be forever grateful for.”  Karine Roy, Beyondwordz.ca, Montreal, Canada   “Completing the EFLC Certification program with Kathy Pike has been a life-changing experience for me professionally and personally, as new vistas are open through exploring what’s possible in a relationship with Horse. I’m humbled by the nuanced depths of the wisdom they offer when we connect with them. Discover what inspiration or healing you may experience through safely interacting with horses in this non-traditional way. My horses and I offer you a rich coaching experience based on relationship rather than dominance, unmatched by any other therapeutic encounter.” Heather Snow-Flamer, Cottonwood, California, MS, CSLC, EFLC “This rich, intense, and deeply transformative training has taught me the importance of energetic alignment and authentic expression. Additionally, the program gave the steps to embody it myself and guide others to do the same in the presence of horses. Kathy’s Coaching with Horses creates a sacred space for soul-to-soul communication between humans and horses, thus honoring and empowering every living being who enters that space. My work in the field of horse-assisted counseling and therapy has always been guided and supported by my herd, but after completing this program, there are new realms, depths, and magic. Thank you, Kathy, for showing and sharing your wisdom!” Hele Aluste, Horse School Park, Jarvamaa, Estonia “I was looking for a way to help people heal in partnership with horses and to understand how to communicate this unique way of coaching.  I was excited to find this life-changing training program with the Academy Coaching With Horses. Kathy Pike offers an excellent EFLC Training program to help you learn how to facilitate a relationship between the client and the horse. The program clarified my understanding of the process and helped me become a strong coach in this field.  I am so grateful for this experience!  I now have my own business called Healing Hearts with Horses, in which I work with those in recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol, those with anxiety and stress, and those with relationship problems.” Kimberely Ammerman, www.HealingHeartswithHorses.com Whitewood, South Dakota “Completing the EFLC program with Kathy has been a transformational experience for me personally and professionally, enabling me to connect authentically to my true self-expression and integrate this into all aspects of my life. The body-centered tools and processes have been instrumental in helping others become fully integrated.  I coach riders through their limiting beliefs, overcoming fears and doubts to connect with their authentic self, developing a stronger self-awareness, and evolving a deeper horse-rider partnership. I am also passionate about supporting individuals with my beautiful herd in self-discovery and an opportunity to create authenticity and true self-expression in their lives.”  Nina Lewis, Victoria, Australia “Throughout the year-long apprenticeship program, I slowly emerged from my cocoon, into the beautiful butterfly encased within. I always knew she was in there but was so buried under social conditioning that I thought it was completely normal to stay within. The field of life for me now is expansive and full of nectar. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn the tools and skills taught in the program. I am excited and honored to share the teachings of the horse with the world.” Carrie Mello, Sutton, Vermont   I am so grateful for the training and personal growth I experienced during the EFLC apprenticeship program with Kathy. Using the techniques Kathy taught us, I became so much more aware of my body and my emotions and how disconnected I had been from them for nearly my entire life. I had no idea how much of my authentic self I had been hiding to feel safe in the world. Working with Kathy and the horses gave me the safe container to begin healing from my past traumas, step into the light of who I came here to be, and re-emerge as a confident, compassionate coach for others.  My life is forever changed by what I learned in this program. I now offer transformational coaching and healing with horses as our teachers, healers, and guides.  Anna Marie Ellison, Shabbona, Illinois “The yearlong EFLC Certification Program was life-changing for me. I learned about myself and enhanced my awareness, emotional intelligence, and leadership skills. I learned new tools that I have integrated into my life and now offer to my clients, helping them to become more aware and congruent in their daily lives. What I learned changed my relationship with my horses, taking us to deeper levels of trust and mutual respect than I could have imagined. The program is structured in such a way as to deepen the students learning as the year progresses. It gives many opportunities to practice, ask questions, and learn new skills along the way while being supported by Kathy and her assistant. Knowing where I was at the beginning, I would never have imagined feeling so confident and ready to offer the teachings to others in a year. I love how the program included several styles of learning – hands-on, reading, lectures, webinars, and ongoing coaching and educational calls. And I made friends that are now my herd-mates for life! I highly recommend this program!” Jackie Hibbard, Lyons, Colorado “As a graduate of Kathy’s program, I was unsure what else I could learn from her. The SEE program was amazing, insightful, and fun… more than I expected. I loved learning and deepening my senses on an energetic level with new healing tools. My understanding of self in relationship to the horse and my life path brought me directly into my heart and truth. I believe that if you are in the business of working with others, you must always be working on your healing consistently. This course brought me to my next level of integrated freedom, expressed in my authentic dance, in costume with music, with Corazon, her Mustang. It was enlightening, magical, and expanding. At that moment, I found my long-lost authentic self! Thank you Kathy and Corazon . . . love, love, love . . .”  Shannon Henshaw “The year-long journey with the Academy of Coaching with Horses was nothing less than magical and life-changing!! I came in as a caterpillar and left as a butterfly. Kathy’s program teaches how to successfully coach others with horses and live life embodying body-centered awareness every day. Classes were filled with significant lessons. I learned to become authentic, live in the now, establish healthy boundaries, discover how horses become reflective of us, explore how energy works, and experience the spirituality between horses and humans. The influence of this program continues to carry through, beyond the completion of it. Kathy and her beautiful herd have left an imprint in my life, my family, and the life of every child, person, and family who come through my coaching program, and I will forever be grateful to them for that. I now coach people to transform their lives using a unique nature and equine-involved approach; my sessions create mindfulness and emotional awareness, provide time to decompress, reconnect, relieve burnout, and align goals with actions and live authentically.” Lisbeth Suarez, Florida “I will never forget 2011. Far away from home, I found a new herd. First I thought they talked in another language, but soon I discovered we were talking in the universal language of connection, empowerment, intuition, and trust. I will never forget “little bit”, Moon, Corazón, and all the horses I’ve met on this journey.” Marta Cirera Baqués, Spain “The Coaching With Horses program introduced me to an entirely new way of relating to the world. Kathy, with her wise and wonderful herd, taught me how to access my intuitive abilities, listen to my authentic voice, and step into my own creative power. I have come to appreciate her as a passionate and intuitive teacher, writer, and guide in learning the ways of the horse. On this amazing journey of discovery and transformation, I have found my life’s path.” Diana Woods, Grand Junction, Colorado “The horses in the Apprenticeship program helped me to open up to my body, wisdom, and intuition. The horse also revealed my authentic and creative self. Once again, I take pleasure in painting and photographing people and horses. With Kathy and Reggie’s professional support, I developed coaching skills and practiced tools and methods that complement my existing NLP coaching work. Each level was a profound and exciting learning experience. The excellent structure of the course and practical approach have been crucial as I directly put into practice the tools and methods at home with my horses. Taking this course was one of the best decisions in my life, and Kathy’s approach is perfect for helping me push the walls of my comfort zone further. It was an awesome experience, and I met exceptional teachers, great participants, and magnificent horses. A magical journey.” Cornelia Roulet, Switzerland “The apprentice program with Kathy was profound for me on many levels. While it promised to be one filled with the learning and practicing of Equine Facilitated Learning and Coaching, it reached me at a much deeper, personal level. The work, the tools, the horses, and Kathy collectively contributed towards a new way of thinking and being for me, along with a strong foundation on which to base my new business. I’m excited to be contributing towards positive change in others supported by the partnership with horses.” Janis Cooper, Waitsfield, Vermont It’s been an amazing healing year with Kathy and her herd. Corazon blessed my heart with pictures and feelings of True Freedom showing me where I am at times imprisoning myself. Master Moon gifted depth of heart space knowledge and gave me confidence in my own knowing. Oreo blessed me with the gift of play–something I am putting back into my daily life. Sylvie–the gift of being a big yet gentle space, helping me release the false voice that tells me to be “quiet” and not make waves and Diva the gift of wondrous, nurturing support, something I have often ached for. Kathy gifted me with her spacious world of “what’s possible”, her big heart connection with the wisdom of horse, her wonderful human herd (staff), and a new herd of dear friends my fellow students! I am thrilled and blessed to be a graduate. Thank you from the depth of my heart and soul!” Cynthia Raman, Texas “The EFLC Instructor program has been a powerful year of learning and accomplishment for me. Your program was the perfect mix of hands-on learning to integrate my horse background with my coaching practice. Your way of supporting each of us in the program as we were on our unique learning trajectories and varying backgrounds was masterful. I feel deeply impacted and grateful for the wisdom your horses shared with each of us – learning to feel our emotions, sense into the wisdom of our own bodies, learning to become more horse-like and trust our gut. The EFLC work is already infusing creativity and groundedness into my coaching practice at all levels. John (my husband and business partner) and I led a leadership program with horses and the results were profound and still rippling through our clients. Thank you for the impact you are having in the world. With deep gratitude and respect”  Virginia Rhodes, Washington “Kathy has provided a beautiful setting and container for me to grow. I have found a sense of community and support that I am not sure I have ever felt. Best of all, I felt continuously and personally supported even between the on-site training. Kathy, or one of her trusted teachers, is always there when I need to realign my direction. I encourage anyone who can hear their soul calling to them through the voice of the horse to take this program. Kathy can help you translate it and lead yourself back to your heart.” Angie Deaver, Kansas