We exist because horses hold the answers people are searching for - guiding them toward hope, healing, and a way forward. Here, you’ll discover how horses and humans grow stronger together.
If you’ve ever felt called to do more with your horse...
you’re in the right place.
Welcome to Equine Connection, where horse lovers like you turn their passion into a respected, purpose-driven career founded on integrity, science-backed research, and heart.
Interested in how Equine Connection got to where they are today?
OUR BELIEF & PURPOSE
Because horses change lives, and so can you.
Everything we do begins with respect for the horse.
We believe horses are not here to be managed, controlled, or used. They are here to be partnered with, listened to, and honored for who they are. When horses are truly heard, they offer insight, truth, and learning that cannot be forced or manufactured.
Our programs are designed to protect the welfare of the horse while creating meaningful learning for humans. Horses lead. Humans learn. And both are treated with care, integrity, and respect.
“We don’t use horses - we work with them.”
OUR STORY – HEART OF EQUINE CONNECTION
It began with one belief: that horses could change lives. Today, that belief has grown into a global family of horse-first facilitators helping people through the power of the horse.
What started as a single vision has become a globally recognized certification that empowers facilitators to build businesses rooted in purpose, respect, and transformation, with facilitators changing lives across the globe.
Our founder knew this work had to be more than a course, it needed to be a movement built on ethics, research, structure, and heart. It had to be more than just something to sell... but rather a purpose that would fill her bucket each and every day, and truly make a difference in the world.
From the beginning, we knew that certification alone was not enough.
Training facilitators without business guidance and ongoing support sets people up to struggle. Starting this kind of work without a clear path, real tools, and continued mentorship is simply too hard. That is why Equine Connection did not just follow a model, we built one.
We blazed the trail for what it truly takes to run a successful, ethical Equine Assisted Learning business. Today, we lead the way in Equine Assisted Learning Certification, combining facilitation training, business education, and lifelong support.
We are proud to partner with Equine Guelph, the Horse Owner’s Centre at the University of Guelph, and The EAL Network, upholding the highest standards of horse welfare, safety, and professional integrity.
This approach is why our facilitators last. It is why they grow. And it is why Equine Connection continues to set the standard in this industry.
We don’t just teach this work; we live it.
OUR TEAM & HORSES
Together, Kari and Carolyn lead a global mission built on purpose, heart, and fun, grounded in the belief that when we honour the horse, everyone grows.
We honour the horse’s world with their language, their truth, their way of teaching. Meet the humans - and horses - behind the herd.
We’re educators, facilitators, and horse lovers who believe in ethical, purposeful learning.
Every member of our team, two-legged and four-legged, plays a vital role in this mission.
Our horses are the true teachers. Each has a story, a spirit, and a lesson to share.
We honour their world by learning their language and culture, not by asking them to adapt to ours.
When we listen through their eyes, movements, and instincts, the learning becomes real — not guesswork, not theory, but truth.
WHY HORSES – THE MAGIC & THE SCIENCE
Why horses? Because they tell the truth.
Horses live in the moment. They see the truth behind our words — responding to our energy, not our stories. They respond to how we show up, not what we say.
In the arena, they reflect our leadership, confidence, communication, and presence with honesty and compassion. That feedback is what makes learning with horses so powerful.
Equine Connection’s, Equine Assisted Learning model uses structured, ground-based exercises that have a beginning, a middle, and an end with parallels to transfer the learning from the arena to people’s lives. This is where horses teach humans how to grow, all while honouring the horse’s language and natural instincts.
When horses feel safe, humans do too — and that’s where the change begins.
The welfare of the horse is paramount.
We’re proud to partner with Equine Guelph, the Horse Owner’s Centre at the University of Guelph, to uphold the highest standards of care and communication.
As facilitators, our job is to create a safe, structured space for the horse to teach and the human to grow.
Across North America, fewer people are entering the horse industry. In the United States, the horse population has dropped from about 7.2 million in 2017 to 6.6 million in 2023, while in Canada, the number of horses on farms fell from 392,000 in 2016 to 183,000 in 2021. Rising costs, limited access, and fewer young people joining are creating a steady decline in participation.
At Equine Connection, this is part of our why. We’re determined to bring new energy and purpose to the industry by training facilitators who can create meaningful careers with horses — keeping the heart of this industry alive for generations to come.