Areion Academy

Being your own boss is amazing! You have the freedom to do things the way you believe they should be done. You can work as much or as little as you like, and work at the times that suit you.

An Equine Podiatry business is fundamentally about helping people help their horses. It’s such a fulfilling career choice and providing you’re doing a good job, you have a base of regular and repeat work.

Hoof care is important and not many horse owners are willing to skip it. Whether a horse is young or old, in work, being rehabilitated or retired, the hooves keep growing and they need attention.

Most of us start our own business because we want to do things the right way, and we want to help people and horses. Running your own business isn’t always easy though.

While it’s not the flashiest part of the training, customer communication, business systems, and marketing skills are essential if you want to keep your metaphorical doors open.

Areion is committed to making sure you have the skills and support necessary to set your business up right, from the start. After all, you’re in the business of helping people, so we want you to stay in business!

If you're interested in a career as an Equine Podiatrist, or you'd just like to know more about the Areion training please visit areion.co.uk

Being a Equine Podiatrist can be a lonely job once you reach the end of your training which is why we will be giving our alumni plenty of support after they head off into the wide world and make sure they never feel alone.

Additionally, something we are really proud of, is the personal development support and training we give our students during their course from the amazing vet, accupuncturist, life coach and all round wonder-woman that is Donna Blinman. https://donnablinman.co.uk/

Last night our final year students had a session with Donna to talk through any concerns they have about flying the Areion nest and working with clients. Donna as usual had some true words of wisdom and gave the students some great strategies for stretching their comfort zones without breaking them!

Self development is lifelong and the work Donna has done has given our students a foundation for understanding how their thoughts, emotions and feelings work and how to change patterns that are self limiting so that they can grow and develop their inner strengths as well as their practical skills.

Equine Podiatrists have been available to UK horse owners for over 15 years.

They are gaining a reputation for being well educated, thoughtful and dedicated professionals who have a knack for improving horses soundness and well-being.

Demand for EP’s has been building steadily. The pandemic saw a sharp increase in horse owners removing their horse’s shoes, and seeking more knowledge and understanding of their horse’s health and hooves.

The Equine Podiatry approach of educating and supporting horse owners in using the environment to help their horses has proved very popular resulting in a shortage of EP’s across the country.

If you're interested in becoming an Equine Podiatrist, or you'd just like to know more about the training offered by Areion Academy please visit areion.co.uk

Want to know what it's like being an Areion Academy Integrated Equine Podiatry student? I think the face of final year student Kim Holden Equine Podiatry Student says it all!

We will be sharing Kim's reflections on her time with us after the next and final workshop but I can already say, I for one am so proud of this amazing lady and I cannot wait to see the professional she will be over the coming years.

A little example of some of the work being done by one of our final year students Louise Fortey Equine Podiatry Student. Louise has now completed 3 trim cycles on this horse and is getting some super improvements. (Photos from visit 1 and visit 3).

Nothing else has changed for this horse. The diet, environment and routine are exactly the same so all the improvements are as a direct result of her great work.

Want to know more about Areion Academy Tutor Nia Cooke?

Nia is passionate about helping owners to make the correct feeding choices for their animals. The feed industry can be a confusing place, with so much choice and so much conflicting information, it is sometimes really hard to make the correct decisions for the individual animal.

Her first proper job was as a groom on a racing yard, but she went awry and had an early career as a management accountant! She always felt drawn towards working with animals. In 2011 she took the plunge to retrain, as an Equine Podiatrist, studying for a 2 year diploma.

She loved this work but was thirsty for more knowledge. In 2015, she started a BTEC Professional Diploma in Equine Nutrition, which she completed with a distinction. In 2016, she started in Aberystwyth University studying Equine & Veterinary Bioscience, which she graduated with a First class BSc (hons).

To find out more about Areion Academy visit the website www.areion.co.uk

You know as well as we do that reputation is golden in the equine industry and in the up and coming Equine Podiatry profession it can make or break you.

The Areion Integrated Equine Podiatry qualification might be new but you can be completely confident in the quality of the training and in Areion Academy Ltd because of the prestigious Highfield Qualifications approval that we have achieved for Areion as a training provider and for the IEP course.

Highfield Qualifications is a global leader in regulated, apprenticeship and work-based learning qualifications. They have scrutinised our course content, teaching materials, systems, policies and processes before giving their name to our qualification.

A Highfield certificate is your mark of quality meaning your clients as well as other professionals can be confident in the quality of your training. Oh and we also not only meet but exceed the LANTRA National Occupational Standard for Equine Hoof Care.

If you're interested in a studying to become an Equine Podiatrist or you'd just like to know more about the Areion training, please visit areion.co.uk

Today marks the end of an era.

Our first cohort of amazing IEP students had their penultimate workshop before their final exams at the end of the 2.5 years of training. There is one more workshop to go but this was the last time we will all be together as a group before the weekend of the exams!

This group of ladies put their trust in us and signed up for our IEP course when we were a new training provider with a new course. They will soon be out there as the first group of Areion qualified equine podiatrists.

From left to right in the picture Kim Holden Equine Podiatry Student, Louise Fortey Equine Podiatry Student, Queen of Hooves Equine Podiatry (Jade) and Unicorn Eventing (Sophie), (with me, Amy Mitchell sat on the floor and Debs Crosoer on the end), you ladies are all incredible.

Thank you for your trust in us, you have done us and yourselves more than proud. Enjoy your last workshops and casestudy days, we can't wait to celebrate with you when you pass your exams.

Equine Podiatry is the study and management of the equine foot and hoof to optimise the health and performance of the whole horse

In the UK Equine Podiatrists use a whole horse health approach to hoof care.

They combine barefoot trimming techniques, management of the horse’s environment and species appropriate care to improve and maintain the health and performance of the equine hoof.

The horse owner or care giver is an essential part of the process, so an EP must be able to communicate clearly and provide support and education to a variety of people where needed.

When using a whole horse approach, it’s often necessary to work with other professionals, such as bodyworkers, vets, trainers, yard owners and others. It’s really a team effort.

While Equine Podiatry is focused on a whole horse health approach, it is not a replacement for medical attention or an alternative to veterinary care. It works very well alongside other therapies.

Equine Podiatry aims to optimise the health and performance of the whole horse. It is so much more than just ‘trimming hooves’.

If you're interested in becoming an Equine Podiatrist, or want to know more about the Areion Academy training visit areion.co.uk

How was Areion Academy founded? So glad you asked...

As part of their Equine Podiatry practices, both Amy and Debs offered in person and online education for horse owners. This brought many equestrians from across the country into their lives. While helping owners to better understand what was affecting their horses, they frequently found that it was difficult for horse owners to find good local support with sufficient grounding in barefoot rehabilitation methods.

Debs had even set up a directory to help horse owners find good barefoot practitioners, and while it has many practitioners listed, there’s still not nearly enough to serve the demand.

Through conversations about how frustrating it was that there weren’t enough qualified practitioners, and nostalgia about the difficulty they had in accessing training, often having to travel long distances, even going abroad, to access training that could have easily been delivered online, the idea for Areion Academy was born.

Debs and Amy are putting the final touches to the Integrated Equine Podiatry certification (full details to follow very soon!). Delivering the theory online will dramatically reduce the time and cost of study, freeing up a lot more space for students to learn and develop their practical skills.

The Essential Equine Nutrition certification taught by independent nutritionist and EP Nia Cooke will soon be available for equine professionals and keen horse owners. This online course provides a deeper understanding about meeting the nutritional needs of our horses with species appropriate feeding practices.

They’re not going to stop there though, Equine Podiatrists have an insatiable thirst for knowledge and always want to expand their skills, so Areion Academy will offer continuing professional development for all equestrian practitioners.

The focus will always be on making the world a better place for horses.

If you’d like to hear more about what Areion is offering visit www.areion.co.uk and sign up to get notifications of course details and release dates.

Want to know more about Areion Academy founder Amy Mitchell?

Amy is a qualified Equine Podiatrist with a strong track record in helping owners improve their horses' hoof health. She has a special interest in whole horse health and the positive effects of the right environment in developing health and wellbeing from the hoof upwards.

She owns and manages a small track system livery in Nottinghamshire where her own 4 horses also live. In her previous career, Amy worked as a project manager and process improvement consultant helping businesses to become more efficient and effective. Her skills in presenting and facilitating alongside her knowledge of, and dedication to, improving the health and wellbeing of domestic horses work in synergy in her teaching role within Areion.

Away from horses, Amy has 2 German Shepherd dogs that she enjoys training in scent work and has a weakness for salted caramel ice-cream!

To find out more about Areion Academy visit the website www.areion.co.uk

Who is the Integrated Equine Podiatry training for?

If you’re looking for a life or career change, and would love to work with horses and their humans, this could be what you’re looking for. This course is designed to fit around your life while still providing the high quality, in depth education you need to be a competent and successful professional.

This course is for you if you want:
✔️ recognised professional training
✔️ to build a successful customer focused equine business
✔️ in depth training in whole horse hoof care
✔️ the freedom of running your own business, your way
✔️ a supportive and fun learning environment
✔️ flexible learning that fits round your life commitments

This course is not for you if:
❌ you want a quick weekend course
❌ you're not interested in running your own equine business
❌ you want a 100% classroom based full time course

If you're interested in a career as an Equine Podiatrist, or you'd just like to know more about the Areion training please visit areion.co.uk

Want to know more about Areion Academy founder Debs Crosoer?

Debs has been working in the equine industry for over 20 years. Initially she offered remedial training, and in 2006 she started her successful Equine Podiatry practice. Her approach has always been focused on making it easier to get the best results possible.

Debs has been teaching and lecturing on whole horse focused hoof care for horse owners and equine professionals for over 10 years, founding the Hoof Geek blog in 2013 to make reasoned information and support about hoof care more easily available for everyone.

She soon launched the Hoof Geek Academy, to take her courses online, as it was clear that many people wanted to develop their knowledge, but struggled to attend live workshops.
When she’s not being a hoof geek, you’ll probably find her being a sci-fi nerd, or baking up a storm.

To find out more about Areion Academy visit the website www.areion.co.uk

The Integrated Equine Podiatry course will give you a good solid foundation in Equine Podiatry, so once you’re running your own business, you can be confident you’re providing your clients with an excellent service.

Delivering the theory training online through short video lessons with supporting documents, allows you to spend more time and attention on the theory.

You don’t have to take time off work and travel to attend lectures. You can access the lessons whenever it suits you, and study at your own pace, giving extra time to the topics you find challenging or more interesting!

You can also repeat any lesson you need to when the time comes to revise, you don’t have to rely just on your class notes like you would with a traditional course.

We will provide you with a dedicated printed workbook for each semester that will allow you to organise your notes and to help to direct your study. These workbooks will build into your own comprehensive reference guide.

Having the theory broken down into manageable chunks means you can study a bit every day, to give you time to consider the content, or you can stack the lessons into a day or two. Whichever system suits your life and learning style better. You choose.

Utilising the power of the internet to deliver the theory part of the course allows us much more time for the practical skills when we do meet up. No other trimming course provides as much practical training.

Regular weekend practical workshops allow you the chance to develop, practice and refine your tools skills over time. You’ll get repeated opportunities to perfect each area of tools skills, horse handling and horse assessment before moving on to the next level.

If you're interested in studying to become an Equine Podiatrist, or you'd just like to know more about the Areion training please visit areion.co.uk

What a great weekend we have had with our 2nd and 3rd year IEP students.

Skills refined and developed, new knowledge learnt and fun had!

Brilliant work from each and every student. It's so satisfying seeing these ladies turning from interested newbies to a knowledgeable and skilled team 🤓🧐💪

Really proud of Louise Fortey Equine Podiatry Student this morning, overcoming her nerves and giving her fellow students a brilliant presentation on Ppid in horses.

Starting our student workshop weekend with a talk on species appropriate nutrition from the fabulous Nia Essential Equine Nutrition by Nia Cooke

Huge thanks to Joe Midgley Horsemanship for a giving a great talk to our students last night on facial anatomy, nerves, bits, nosebands and what this all means for the horse and for training. Super informative and engaging presentation!

Understanding the many aspects that effect whole horse health, movement and biomechanics is an important part of our Integrated Equine Podiatry students training so we are grateful to Joe for filling in this piece of the puzzle!