Equine Assisted Learning in Education and Development

         Equine-Assisted Learning is an experiential learning approach that promotes the development of life skills for educational, professional, and personal goals through equine-assisted activities.

         This experiential approach integrates horse-human interaction that is guided by a planned learning experience to meet the identified goals or desires of the participant(s). 

• Decision-making and problem-solving skills
• Creative thinking and critical thinking skills
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Self-awareness and empathy
• Ability to cope with emotions and cope with stress
• Feeling of empowerment
• Ability to develop healthy connections with others

Why horses? Think of a horse as a living, breathing “bio-feedback” machine. Horses have incredibly strong survival instincts. Those instincts make them experts at recognizing human emotions and interpreting our intent. During an equine-assisted learning session, the focus of attention is kept on the horse. Clients are not asked to reveal anything about themselves, instead they work with the horse to accomplish tasks which allow them to explore and experiment with different ways of thinking to overcome their challenges and accomplish their goals. The horse’s reactions to us are always honest and provide instant feedback related to how the horse feels about the interaction. When correctly interpreted, that feedback becomes the catalyst for changing patterns of thought and behavior.