Research
Nature changes how we practice social work.
No farm required.
Nature changes how we practice social work.
No farm required.
Nature changes how we practice social work.
No farm required.
Equine & Nature-Assisted Social Work (ENASW) is a principle-based practice framework that brings the intelligence of the natural world into clinical social work — through theory, ethics, wisdom, and metaphor.
Unlike earlier models that required proximity to horses or green space, ENASW is designed to travel. Its core insights — about nervous system regulation, non-verbal attunement, boundaries, presence, and silence — apply in any practice setting. An office. A school. A community center. A farm.
ENASW was built on a simple belief: that nature has always been our oldest teacher, and that social work practice deepens when it draws on that wisdom — whether or not there's a horse in the room.
EVIDENCE-INFORMED. PRACTICE-DRIVEN. COMMUNITY-ROOTED.
Equine in Nature Assisted Social Work is not built on intuition alone. Every framework pillar, every module, every ethical standard is grounded in peer-reviewed research — much of it conducted at Pony Power's Farm, with practitioners in the field.
Evidence-informed. Practice-driven. Community-rooted.
Equine in Nature Assisted Social Work is not built on intuition alone. Every framework pillar, every module, every ethical standard is grounded in peer-reviewed research — much of it conducted at Pony Power's Farm, with practitioners in the field.
Living Laboratory:
the Pony Power farm
The Pony Power farm is more than a program site. It is a living laboratory where practitioners train, researchers study, and the evidence base for equine and nature-assisted social work is actively built.
Graduate students from MSW Programs participate in hybrid coursework at the farm. Researchers conduct qualitative and applied studies. Practitioners bring their clinical questions and leave with new frameworks.
The Living Lab is sustained in part by ENASW course enrollment — a direct line between education revenue and research capacity. - leave this off until courses are ready?
Values
Accessibility: ENASW belongs to every practitioner, regardless of geography or proximity to animals and nature
Equity: Access to nature-informed education should not be determined by zip code or income
Integrity: Grounded in peer-reviewed research, NASW ethics, and anti-oppressive practice
Curiosity: We learn from horses, from nature, from silence, and from each other
Sustainability: Education that funds programs. Programs that generate research. Research that improves education.
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Mission
To advance equitable, embodied, and nature-informed social work education — so that every practitioner, wherever they practice, can bring more of themselves into relationship with the people they serve.
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Vision
A social work profession where somatic awareness, relational presence, and nature-informed practice are core competencies — not electives.
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Values
Accessibility: ENASW belongs to every practitioner, regardless of geography or proximity to animals and nature
Equity: Access to nature-informed education should not be determined by zip code or income
Integrity: Grounded in peer-reviewed research, NASW ethics, and anti-oppressive practice
Curiosity: We learn from horses, from nature, from silence, and from each other
Sustainability: Education that funds programs. Programs that generate research. Research that improves education.
The ENASW Framework: Four Pillars
Theory
Grounded in attachment, polyvagal, systems, and person in-environment frameworks.
Ethics
NASW Code of Ethics, anti-oppressive practice, and professional boundary work.
Wisdom
Drawing on biophilia, the pedagogy of silence, and somatic self-awareness.
Metaphor
Using the intelligence of horses and nature as mirrors for clinical relationships.
Who This is For - courses?
Social Work Students
Build an embodied, nature-informed clinical identity before you graduate. ENASW gives you a framework your peers won't have.
Licensed Practitioners
Add a somatic, evidence-informed lens to your existing practice. No new certification required to begin.
Equine & Nature Professionals
Ground your experiential work in rigorous social work ethics and theory. Bridge the gap between what you do and how you document it.
OUR VALUES