About Horse Human Partnership
Where education meets compassion and partnership leads the way
Our why.
You feel called to this work. You've experienced the quiet, undeniable magic of what happens between humans and horses — the honesty, the presence, the healing that words alone can't reach. So you take the leap. You search for training. You invest your time, your money, your hope.
And then you sit in a training and walk away inspired but confused about how to apply it.
For too many practitioners entering the field of equine assisted psychotherapy and equine assisted learning, the available trainings fall painfully short. They offer structure without soul. Frameworks without feeling. You learn what to do, but never how to be in the work. You leave technically informed but personally disconnected — unsure how your unique background, values, and instincts fit into a practice that is, by nature, deeply relational.
That disconnect doesn't just affect you — it affects your clients and your horses. When you're facilitating from a script rather than from alignment, people feel it. Horses especially feel it. You find yourself second-guessing sessions, borrowing someone else's approach, wondering if there's a version of this work that actually feels like yours. The self-doubt compounds. The burnout creeps in early.
What's missing isn't more certification hours or more theory. What's missing is a training space that honors both the nuance and the individuality of this work — one that grounds you in ethical, scope-appropriate practice and gives you room to discover what makes your approach distinctly, powerfully your own.
That is exactly what Horse Human Partnership was built to provide.
You don't have to keep searching for a training program that finally feels right.
Come to Horse Human Partnership and experience the work firsthand — boots in the dirt, present with the horses, guided by practitioners who've walked this exact path. Leave not just with knowledge and resources, but with a practice that is unmistakably, authentically you.
Your medicine is waiting. Come find it.
Our Core Pillars
Healing in Partnership
Horses and humans as co-facilitators of change, working together in mutual respect and understanding.
Grounded Learning
Our programs honor both clinical excellence and the innate wisdom horses offer, creating a foundation that is both credible and deeply transformative.
Ethical Facilitation
Combine meaningful hands-on experience with horses alongside expert resources and guidance, creating a comprehensive pathway for developing your skills in equine-assisted work.
Community & Support
Ongoing connection and professional development for sustained growth and learning.
Meet the Trainers
The professionals guiding Horse Human Partnership
April Dona LMFT C-EAP
Founder & Trainer
Stacey has spent over a decade practicing Equine-Assisted Therapy and Learning, blending her understanding of horses with a passion for emotional healing and personal growth. As the owner of Smoke Tree Stables in Palm Springs, she brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, offering clients the chance to experience the powerful connection between horses and humans through awareness, presence, and trust.
A Certified hypnotherapist and Fellow of the International Board of Hypnotherapy, Stacey combines solution-focused hypnotherapy with the transformative nature of equine work to help people find balance, clarity, and lasting change.
April has loved horses since childhood and still remembers her first ride on a Palomino named River. Her passion deepened while working on a ranch during college, where she connected with the intuitive and healing nature of horses.
Now a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist certified in Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy, she is trained in EMDR, Equine-Assisted EMDR, Natural Lifemanship, and Equine Communication and Partnership Rituals. With over 15 years of experience, she integrates horses as active partners in the therapeutic process, believe deeply in their ability to support healing.
Stacey Johnson C-EAL, CHt-FIBH
Founder & Trainer
Sue Conklin LCSW C-EAP
Consulting Therapist & Trainer
Sue Conklin has been in the social work profession for over 25 years with a deep commitment to helping others heal. Her experience includes work with children and families, college-age adults, private practice, and foster youth. She also enjoys teaching and training other mental health professionals as a clinical supervisor.
Sue is trained in EMDR and Natural Lifemanship. She came to equine work as part of her own healing journey and over the last five years, has developed a profound respect for what horses have to teach. Every day, she sees the intersection between best trauma practices and how horses live.
Our Approach & Methodology
Honoring the Horse
Horses are sensitive, intuitive beings who naturally invite heightened awareness and presence. Each horse brings their own unique wisdom, capabilities, and “medicine” into the session, shaping the experience in meaningful and organic ways.
Honoring the Human
We recognize that our nervous systems and relational imprints influence how we engage—with ourselves, with others, and with the horses. By increasing awareness of these patterns, participants gain insight into what is being reflected back through the equine interaction.
Honoring the Relationship
The relationship between horse and human creates a powerful, reciprocal exchange. We help teach you to facilitate these meaningful interactions and translate them into unforgettable lessons that participants carry with them long after the session ends.
Honoring the Facilitator
We support facilitators in developing their skills with confidence and clarity, while honoring their unique expression and individual gifts. Our approach emphasizes embodiment, attunement, and integrity, helping you find your own authentic way of showing up in this work.
Continue Your Learning Journey With Us
Join our community of practitioners committed to ethical, heart-centered healing work